The Lost Maelstrom
by johnrlozada
Summary: -COMPLETE- The world believed that the Uzumaki were extinct and completely forgot about them. After years of laying low, they will reemerge and make themselves known again to deliver vengeance to those who sought to destroy their family. Being descendants of the Sage, it is also their task to keep the Balance in the world by peace and war. Chapters are being rewritten. Ch1&2 done.
1. Chapter 1: The Lost Maelstrom is Found

**The Lost Maelstrom**

 **IMPORTANT NOTE: Read the damn story before you complain. This is only the first chapter. The how's of Minato being alive will be explained as you progress in the story.**

 **Chapter One's Final Revision Date: November 2, 2018**

 **Chapter One: The Lost Maelstrom is Found**

 **It all began in a place where the world thought no longer existed…**

"Well?" The sharp question came from a woman sitting behind a desk. This woman had long red hair that flowed past her elbows. She was wearing a light blue cloak that had the kanji of 'First' at the back. Her face was currently hidden by the hat she was wearing as her head was bowed. There was a man standing beside her, his features currently hidden by the shadow cast by the banner above him. The banner was red and had a circle in the middle. In the circle was a swirl.

The person she was addressing wore the standard ANBU attire, except that his was pure black. He was in a kneeling position as he phased through the floor, appearing before the woman. Upon hearing the question, he stiffened, feeling nervous. The woman took notice of this and knew she would not like what she will be hearing next.

"We found him, Uzukage-sama. He looks exactly like you described and was indeed in Konoha. From what we have observed, he was not being treated well. We noticed how the villagers glared and cast contemptuous looks at him…" The operative paused before continuing. "The first time we found him, he was being surrounded and beaten by a group of drunks. While there were many witnesses, nobody was helping him. My team had to pose as Konoha police to stop them and disperse the crowd. We managed to rescue him from several mob attacks afterwards, without the knowledge of the ninja present in the area."

"The boy is in a terrible state. He is thin and malnourished, hence why he also looked smaller than his age. He does not have a permanent place and sleeps in the darker corner of the streets and alleys, in order to hide himself from the villagers. Your children have stayed behind to fulfill their part of the mission, while I came back here to give you the intel you requested."

The woman waved a hand, acknowledging the report. The operative rose and took off his head gear, revealing a face with a dark blue eye, the other covered by his red hair. This man was known as Kaede Uzumaki. He was the head of STORM, an elite organization that only answered to the Uzukage.

The woman sighed as she put down her hat, finally revealing a face similar looking to the operative in front of her. She was none other than Kushina Namikaze nee Uzumaki. First Uzukage of the rebuilt Uzushiogakure. "You did well. I will send a team back with you to fetch him. Right now, I want you to instruct all ANBU, Jounin and Chunin to meet me at the village's Main Stronghold at sundown. I want all members of STORM present as well."

"Hai! Uzukage-sama." The STORM captain bowed and put back his head gear on before disappearing.

The person standing beside her bent down and captured the Uzukage in an embrace, finally revealing his notable features; crystal blue eyes and messy blond hair that reached his neck. He was Minato Namikaze. Yondaime Kage of Konohagakure. Like the Village Hidden by Whirling Tides and its inhabitants, he was believed by the world dead.

 **Scene Change – a few nights ago**

 _A young boy who looked no older than 4 was running for his life. His most notable features were his blue eyes, blond hair, and three whisker marks on each cheek. He looked wild and starving. His hair was messed up, his clothes ragged and has blood stains on it. He was being chased by a huge mob he fled from after receiving a few hits._

 _The boy suddenly screamed and fell as a kunai hit his leg. This gave the mob the opportunity to finally catch and corner the boy. They started to beat him, avoided hitting his head to keep him conscious, allowing them to torment the child even more. The boy was screaming in agony. The boy looked straight at a vacant spot opposite him. He looked straight into what seemed the eyes of the watcher and begged to be saved. He screamed while crying, "Mother! Father! Somebody! Please save me!" as the mob continued to pummel him._

"NO! PLEASE, STOP!" Kushina woke up screaming. She checked the time and found it was past midnight.

"Kushina!" The man sleeping beside her also awoke that very same moment. "What is it?"

"Minato! They're going to murder him! They're torturing him! Oh _Kami-sama_ , we need to save him!"

"Kushina, please calm down. Tell me what happened."

After a few minutes of crying, the distressed redhead finally calmed down and told her husband about the dream she just had. She told him about the boy. She told him about the villagers. She then realized the boy looked somehow familiar.

"This isn't just an ordinary dream. This is probably some kind of warning or some kind of vision. It's probably happening at the moment or has happened already." Minato absently patted down his hair, deep in thought.

"Minato?" Inquired the woman, feeling nervous.

"Kushina… This may sound odd, but, I had the same dream. Just exactly the same as what you have told me."

They were silent for a few seconds until Kushina's eyes widened and she screamed, "Naruto! My baby boy's alive! And he is in danger! We must find him! LET ME GO!" She roared as she frantically tried to escape from her husband's strong arms as he tried to placate her.

"Kushina, please calm down. I know what you are feeling right now. I am also his parent. I promise you we will do everything to rescue our son wherever he is. But if we're going to find our son we need a clear head in order to plan properly. I'm with you, okay? We'll find our Naruto."

It took a while before the distressed mother regained her composure.

"Kushina, I'm going to check on the children. I believe I felt their chakra spike up. Something's going on."

"Alright. I'll meet you at my office. I'll go find Kaede."

 **Thirty minutes later**

 **Uzukage's Office**

"Mother? What happened? You've been crying." A younger version of Kushina inquired. Her name was Narumi Namikaze. She was the first child and eldest daughter of Minato and Kushina. She was eighteen years old and a jounin.

"I'm fine now, Narumi. I had a bad dream."

Narumi stared at her siblings with a questioning look.

"What kind of dream? What did you dream about?" This time a younger male version of Kushina inquired. He was Minako Namikaze. Second child and eldest son. He was two years younger than Narumi, and also a Jounin Captain of three chuunin.

"Your father and I had a dream about a boy being beaten by a mob. We strongly believe it was-"

"Naruto." Another boy and a girl finished. These two were twins. They got their facial features from Minato. Although unlike her twin brother, Miho got her mother's red hair, while Mio had orange hair. The twins were both Chuunin. They were six years younger than their elder sister.

"We also had the same dream. All four of us. Mio and I were awoken when Narumi and Miho woke up screaming. We were discussing about it before Father called us."

 **Flashback – Four years ago**

 **Unkown location**

"The Iwa, Kiri, and Kumo Allied forces will attack Uzushiogakure in three days. I want you to blend in with them. Your task is to kidnap Kushina Namikaze's newborn son. She's due to give birth two days before the Allied Forces' scheduled attack. Take the infant during the commotion and bring it back here. Do whatever means you must. Failure is not an option."

"Understood."

 **Uzushiogakure - Three days later**

 **Uzushio Headquarters**

"Uzukage-sama! All enemies are within the traps' range. It's time for our counter attack."

"Very well. Begin."

"Hai!"

"Father. Let me help."

"No, Kushina. You just gave birth. You still need rest. And you should be beside Naruto. Your son needs you."

"He'll be fine. He's with Miho and Mio. Rin's also with the kids. She's a strong kunoichi."

"I know. But still, your children need you, especially Naruto. Kushina, go to the shelter with your children."

"But-"

"Go! Worry not, victory will be ours."

 **Uzukage Estate**

"Rin-sensei!" The twins shouted with concern.

"She's dead. And you brats are next! Hmmmm, maybe I should start with the youngest." A masked man entered the estate and started killing the household including the twins' sensei, Rin.

"No! We won't let you harm our baby brother!" The twins moved in front of Naruto's crib to protect him from the masked assailant but the intruder vanished and reappeared behind them and sent them crashing on the wall.

"Say goodbye to your brother! **_Forbidden Art: Dancing Black Flames!_** " The masked man shouted as he tossed the infant into the air before incinerating it along with the crib.

"NOOOOOOOO!" The twins watched in horror as their infant sibling became nothing but ashes.

The masked man then turned his attention to kill the remaining witnesses while they were frozen in shock and despair. As he neared the two, he felt a huge chakra signature coming and immediately fled the house.

Ten seconds later Kushina burst into the estate and found the dead bodies of her household. She felt a heavy sensation in her stomach as she rushed upstairs to where Naruto's room was. What she saw made her dizzy. Rin was lying on the floor. Dead. Tears ran down the eyes of her twins who kneeled on the corner, paralyzed with fear and despair. At the end of the room, the crib, where her youngest child slept peacefully only a night ago, was now a pile of ash.

"Naruto! Miho! Mio!"

"Mother…! Naruto… gone… incinerated…" Miho said between choked sobs.

"Rin-sensei dead… Masked man… he killed our baby brother…" Mio whispered weakly as tears came down streaming his face.

Kushina fell to her knees as she stared at the pile of ash. Tears began to flow as her body shook, wracked by sobs. "No… Please, Kami no. My little Naru-chan… NO! NAAARUTOOOOOOO!"

 **Uzushiogakure - Three days later**

Dead bodies can be seen everywhere along with debris from fallen buildings. The once strong and standing village were now in ruins. Small fires can still be seen around. The place stank of dead flesh and burnt wood. A small party of Konoha shinobi were inspecting the area, checking for survivors.

"Hiashi. Do you see anything?" A man with long, spiky white hair asked.

"Nothing, Jiraiya-sama. They're all dead. I can't see a chakra signature. The only ones alive in this area are us." Replied a man who had white eyes with bulging veins around them as he inspected the now ruined village.

"What a waste. They were our allies! Sarutobi! I told you they needed our help. If you ordered us to assssssissssst then there might be survivors." A pale man with long raven hair shouted. His words prolonging into hisses as his anger rose.

"Shut up _teme_. If you wanted to help then you should have gone without us."

"Yes, I really should have. But Sarutobi stopped me from going! I was restrained! And you wouldn't even care because you were too busy peeping on women! I would have chosen being branded as someone who disobeys orders rather than someone who abandons their comrades!"

"Hn. I thought the Uzumaki clan were strong. But look at them all, dead. The weaklings do not deserve saving." Scoffed a man with long black hair and red eyes.

"You fucking Uchihas think you're mighty and high. Admit it Fugaku, you Uchihas are afraid of the Uzumaki Clan. They are far stronger than yours. You fuckers hate them because you can't copy their jutsus with your fucking eyes."

"Hn."

"That's enough, Orochimaru. Everyone! We're going back to Konoha." An old man with a pipe said.

"Yessss. I've had enough, _Sensei_ " Orochimaru spat the word with venom. "I'm no longer affiliated with Konoha. I'm cutting my ties to it from now on. I'm ashamed of a village who abandons their allies." Orochimaru proclaimed as he untied his hitai-ate and tried to shove it onto his sensei's hands, who would not accept.

"I won't allow you to leave Orochimaru. You are a great asset to Konoha. If you do leave, I will mark you as a missing-nin." Sarutobi threatened as he refused to take his apprentice's hitai-ate.

"Fine then." Orochimaru replied as he took out a kunai and made a long gash on his forehead protector, signifying his disowning of his now former village.

"Orochimaru, you can't do this!" Fugaku exclaimed.

"Oh. But I already did. Good bye you traitors." Orochimaru said as he morphed into a small white snake and went underground.

"He's gone. I can't see his chakra signature." Hiashi said.

Sarutobi sighed. "We should hurry back to the village. We have to inform the council of Orochimaru's defection."

Jiraiya refused to leave and waited for his teammate to return but after a few minutes he too just sighed and nodded to his sensei. And with that, the four remaining Konoha-nin left.

 **Line**

Unkown to the Konoha-nin, they were being watched. The clan they believed to be extinct were simply hiding underground, protected by strong seals that blocked all senses coming from the outside.

The dead bodies that littered the village were in fact the corpses of the Kiri, Kumo, and Iwa Shinobi. All dressed up with Uzushio hitai-ates, clothing, armor, and weapons. Their hairs were dyed red to make them look like the fallen Uzumaki. The ruined city was only an illusion. Only a few buildings were actually destroyed. There were less than fifteen casualties and those were the Uzumaki Main Branch Household. The Uzumaki Clan remained and still stood strong.

A week before the assault on their village, they were tipped off by someone unknown. They were informed that a combined force of Iwa, Kumo, and Kiri were going to try and assault their village. Driven by fear and envy, they formed an alliance and shared one common goal. That goal was to stop Uzushiogakure from growing stronger and becoming one of the five great nations. Thanks to the warning, they were able to prepare defend the city and evacuate all villagers to the underground shelters.

Despite their victory, the whole clan were mourned for the fallen. Especially the Uzukage's youngest grandchild, Naruto – believed incinerated by a masked assailant.

The Uzukage's daughter, Kushina, was still distraught and mourning but deep inside, she believed that her son was alive. She simply did not have any leads or clues on where to find her little Naruto. And due to the orders of the Uzukage, they were to remain hidden and to wait patiently.

There will be a time for them to strike back and unleash their vengeance to those who were responsible of their village's supposed destruction and Naruto's death. For now, they were to make the world believe that the Uzumaki Clan no longer existed and Uzushiogakure were now in ruins.

 **Flashback end**

The family were silent for a few minutes until Kaede spoke. "Alright. Sister, could you tell me about the dream? How did my nephew look like? What of his attackers?"

Seeing his wife about to cry again, Minato decided to fill in his brother-in-law about the dream.

"I think the place looked familiar. What do you think Minato?" Kushina asked.

"I believe the place was near Konoha's outer skirts. How he got there, I do not know." Said Minato.

Kushina was silent for some time, her head bowed. When she finally spoke, her demeanor changed. Her voice now carried power. "Alright everyone, listen up. I'm giving you a mission. Kaede, Narumi, Minako, Miho, and Mio. You are going to Konohagakure No Sato. Kaede, I want you to gather information about my youngest son. Find out why they have him. Find out why he was being mistreated. Find out why nobody looks out for him. Everything related about him, I want complete details.

Narumi, Minako, Miho, Mio. Find your little brother. Keep him safe. Earn his trust. Tell him he's going to be alright. Tell him that we will rescue him from that stinking place. Do what you must. Once you find him, stay inside the Namikaze Estate. Nobody will know you are there. The house is protected by seals and will only respond to those with Uzumaki and Namikaze blood. Kaede, I would also like you to find Nono Uzumaki. I believe she goes by the name Nono Yakushi. She also has a son named Kabuto. Get in contact with them. She doesn't know Uzushio still exists. Here are their pictures. When you return, we will discuss about what to do next."

 **Present Time**

 **Konohagakure**

The boy from the dream was running for his life… again. This was a daily routine for him. He will wake up early to scavenge for food while staying out sight. During the afternoon, he would be found and a man hunt would commence. The villagers seem to have some kind of tracking device on him. Every night he will be taken to the hospital to get his injuries treated only for him to get hurt again the next day. Morning was the only safe time for him since the villagers were busy with their work while some were still asleep.

He didn't know eyes always followed him. Eyes from the shadows. ANBU, the black operatives of the village, the ones who tip off the villagers of his location.

Unknown to all, four outsiders were watching the whole scene.

As the boy turned into a corner, the outsiders sprang into action and snatched him away.

A hidden seal activated, and a clone of the boy appeared. The watching ANBU failed to notice this as the exchange happened at a blind spot. The mob were none the wiser and proceeded to pummel the clone.

 **Namikaze Estate**

"Phew. That was close."

"Hey kid, are you alright?" Asked the leader of the four.

"Yes." Whispered the scared and baffled boy. "What happened? We were there – and now we're here!"

"We saved you. We used fuinjutsu that activated once we got you out of there. The seal produced a clone of you. We added a genjutsu to make the transition perfect. It's the clone who'll they think they'll be beating." Replied one of the four.

"Who are you? Why did you save me? Did you really save me? Or are you four going to beat me just for yourselves?" Asked the boy, fear once again gripping his heart.

He yelped as he felt arms wrapped around him and started to cry. "Please. I haven't done anything wrong. Why can't you see that? I'm not a monster. I'm just a human like you."

The eldest of the four engulfed the boy into a hug as he started crying. "Calm down. We're not going to hurt you. You're safe with us."

"Really?" Asked the boy between sobs.

"Yeah. My name's Narumi."

The boy nodded and instantly became cheerful. "My name's Naruto. Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto! And I'm going to be one of the greatest ninja ever lived. Believe it!"

His rescuers smiled at him. Glad that he was still cheerful despite what happened to him earlier and the days before he was rescued by them.

"Say, Naruto, why don't we go to the kitchen and we'll get you something to eat, hmm? I'm sure you're hungry." Asked Narumi while the boy nodded. His stomach growled when he heard the girl mention food. She then motioned the other three to prepare something to eat.

"Where are we by the way?" Curiosity once again filled Naruto.

"We're here inside the Yondaime's Home. Our father's home. This home is protected with seals. Nobody except us five know we are here inside. I'm the eldest. Minako, he's two years younger than me. Mio and Miho, are twins. They're four years younger than Minako."

"Oh." Said Naruto, feeling jealous and sad. As he didn't have anyone to call family. "I wish I had a family too. I wonder if they're still alive. My kaa-san, and my tou-san. I wonder if I have siblings too."

His four rescuers just stared at him with sad eyes.

"Say, Naruto. While you're eating. Would you mind telling us your story?" Asked Minako.

"Well, as you have seen, the villagers here hate me. Every day I have to run for my life to not get beaten, but they still catch me. I have no permanent place to stay at so I hide in the village's darkest streets. When I was three I was kicked out of the orphanage. I never understood why. They called me a monster. An abomination. And I don't even know what that meant. They blamed me for killing a lot of people. They blamed me for killing the Yondaime and his wife. But how can I do those horrible things? That's just stupid. I think they're just giving themselves a reason to beat me and hate me. Besides, I don't even know what a Yondaime is. But you know, I heal fast. Maybe that's why they call me monster and loved to beat me."

Narumi nodded, urging him to continue. She understood about the fast healing since it's one of the abilities of the Uzumaki Clan's Kekkei Genkai.

"Ever since I've been kicked out from the orphanage, I've been wandering the streets. I slept at random places in the village where it was dark so I can hide from the villagers. I got my food from dogs and in some occasions, from foxes. They were the only creatures that were friendly to me. I do not know why. But they nicked food for me so I could eat. There were also some snakes. At first I was afraid of them. But I started to like them when they saved me from a mob. The stray dogs, snakes, and foxes are my only family."

"Naruto. Do you have any clues who your parents are?" Asked Narumi.

Naruto shook his head. "My nurse told me my parents were dead. She figured that I was brought here from Uzushiogakure. She told me that the place I came from was destroyed. She also came from there when she was younger before she had her son. Nono-chan and Kabuto-nii were the only humans who had been good to me. They tried to adopt me but the villagers found out and asked for help from the bad clan heads. After that I never saw Nono-chan and Kabuto-nii again. Although I did believe the snakes were from them.

Anyway, I can remember how my parents looked like although the memory's when I was still a baby. Don't ask me how I remember it, I just do. My mom was beautiful. She had long red hair. My dad had yellow hair, and his eyes were crystal blue just like mine."

The four stared at him feeling excited. He just described how their parents looked like.

"You know, I dreamed of them a few nights ago… I was getting beaten by a mob. And then I saw them. I knew they were my parents. I just knew it. So I tried calling to them. When I did, I woke up from my sleep. It was some kind of a beautiful nightmare since I was getting beaten by a mob even in my dream, but at least I got to see my parents!" Naruto cheered at the last part.

The siblings couldn't help but smile at Naruto's cheerfulness. They've also heard enough. The dream wasn't just a dream. It was a link for them to find each other. They've decided to tell them who Naruto really was, and who they really were.

"Naruto." Narumi interrupted. "We haven't properly introduced ourselves yet. We had to confirm your identity first. But now we're sure. And the dream you mentioned was more than enough evidence..."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Asked a confused Naruto.

"Naruto, your parents are alive. You have a family. You have siblings. There are more than one person who loves you…" Narumi said in a whisper.

"We thought you have been killed when Uzushio was attacked by Iwa, Kiri, and Kumo. The whole clan was so devastated upon finding out. We still had hopes you were alive. We just didn't know where to look at. Since we also had to lay low after the attack and made the whole world think Uzushiogakure no longer existed along with the Uzumaki Clan. But a few nights ago, we four and our parents had the same dream just like what you told us, you were calling to them. They told us about it and recognized this place, so were sent out to look for you."

Naruto was silent. So Narumi continued, "And so we came here and found you. Naruto, our parents are also your parents. We are your siblings."

Silence filled the room after the revelation. Naruto was thinking hard. After all these years, he thought he had no one. He thought his family was dead. The dream he had, was linked to his parents. That gave him hope. Now, his siblings have found him when his parents asked them to look for him. He has a family! A living family!

Naruto slowly rose from his seat and then rushed to his siblings. Tackling them into a hug. He was crying from both joy and sorrow.

"Onee-chan. Onii-san." The four went to embrace their little brother. They were finally united. They stayed embracing for about five minutes. Naruto was in Kasumi's arms as he cried himself to sleep. The news for him were too overwhelming. For the first time, he slept in peace, knowing he had someone who'll look out for him. When he wakes up, he won't have to worry about the mob trying to kill him, for he had a family who'll protect him.

Narumi carried Naruto to the bedroom and stayed with him while he slept. His head on her lap while she caressed him.

"Sleep well, otouto. Uncle Kaede will be back soon. We're going home and our family will be whole again." Whispered Miho as she kissed Naruto on the forehead.

 **Back in Uzushiogakure**

"Backstabbing traitors!" Cried Kushina as she read the files Kaede gave her. She found out that it was the Sandaime Hokage who gave the orders not to help Uzushiogakure during the day of the attack. It was the Sandaime who made the proposal with Iwa, Kiri, and Kumo to destroy Uzushiogakure, giving them information on how to get inside the village.

She also found out that the same man was the mastermind behind Naruto's kidnapping. The Namikaze family were made to believe that Naruto had been killed when the allied shinobi forces attacked their homeland. It was part of the plan to kidnap Naruto and destroy Uzushio. The report stated that it was Fugaku Uchiha who broke inside the Uzukage's House, killed the household including the Uzukage's daughter's apprentice, Rin Uzumaki, and cast a strong genjutsu to make the twins see their little brother incinerated in front of them, putting the twins into a trauma that haunted them for a year.

Naruto was brought back to Konoha and was used to become the Nine Tailed Demon Fox's jailer. The Yondaime was oblivious to the fact that it was his son he was condemning to a harsh life. The use of the **_Shiki Fujiin_** cost him his life. The Yondaime's last wish was for the child was to be seen as a hero by the villagers, and not a demon.

The Sandaime of course spat on his last wish. He was one of those responsible for the whole village's hate on the boy. It was him who spread the false rumor that it was the boy who killed the Yondaime and his wife, Kushina Uzumaki. Konoha intended for him to become a jinchuuriki – a weapon of the village. The worse part was, Naruto would be a mindless drone. Having no free thoughts and only answered to the Hokage.

The main conspirators along with the Sandaime Hokage were the village elders Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado. They were the ones who kindled the fire that was already with the villagers when the Kyuubi attacked and killed their families. That made the whole village hate the boy and gave him a harsh life.

It was the council's objective to have the boy beaten and tortured every day so that when the boy reaches the age of five, they will pretend to be good on the boy to gain his trust and unknowingly play by their hands, following their orders and becoming loyal to the village. Thus making him Konoha's ultimate weapon. A tool who was afraid of getting beaten so he follows his superior's orders.

Along with the files were Naruto's medical history. They found out that Naruto had been hurt every day since he got kicked out from the orphanage at the age of three. They would rough him up and then he'll be healed in the hospital only to get mauled again the following day. It was stated in the files that the Konoha Interrogation Division would try to erase Naruto's memories every time he was beaten. They didn't know that one of the nurses really cared for Naruto and she found out that Naruto remembered everything that was done to him. The boy had a total of about six hundred medical records. One of the files was about him getting thrown outside the window of a high story building when he was one year old. Another one was him getting him stabbed and electrocuted multiple times, burning his insides. That was when he was two years old. Another incident happened during the Fox Festival, October ten, Naruto's third birthday. He was raped by a gang of drunk villagers. The boy had been tortured and beaten physically and mentally by the villagers countless of times. Some of the incidents were not listed with Naruto's medical record.

Kushina broke down crying as she read the files. She couldn't believe that Konoha did those horrible things to his baby boy. They did to a four-year old. An innocent child! Those monsters!

Minato was shaking with rage as he too read the folders' contents. The village he once served betrayed him. The worst part was they defiled his youngest son. They treated him like a monster. They starved him, they tortured him, and they beat him every day. They were molding him to become the village's weapon.

Minato hugged his crying wife. They had to be strong for their son. After all, they found him now. They were doing everything they can to rescue him and bring him back to where he actually belonged. To his homeland, Uzushiogakure. To where his true family lived.

 **Three hours later**

 **Inside the Uzukage's conference room.**

The whole council was silent when Kushina finished telling them about the dream about her son, about the files they recovered, about what Konoha did to their son, and lastly, about Konoha's betrayal to Uzushiogakure. Along the council with them were all Chuunin ranking and up.

Most of the council members shook in rage as they listened to their village leader's tale and saw the documents. They finally knew who the mastermind behind Uzushio's supposed to be downfall was. They also knew now about what happened to the Uzukage's youngest child. Needless to say, they were disgusted with Konoha. Most of the women in the council were crying as they read the report.

Minutes of silence finally broke when someone whispered but loud enough for all of them to hear, "Konoha will pay for their crimes."

There was a low murmuring among the council, all of them agreeing. Konoha has stood for so long with their wrongdoings unpunished.

"When this news goes out, it will spread like wildfire. Soon, all of Uzushio will demand blood." One of the village representatives said.

"Agreed. But we cannot go to war yet. We must plan this thoroughly. Uzukage-sama's children are still in Konoha. We must decide first about who we are sending with Kaede back and assist the rescue team that was sent." Said by one of the clan heads.

"I second the opinion." Said by another one.

"But who are we sending to retrieve them?" Asked by one of the Jonins.

"I'm going." Minato said. All eyes were on him now. "I'm going inside the Estate via Hiraishin and then I'll bring the children back here. We can decide about Konoha's fate later once the children are safely returned here. But I'll be needing five squads with me. We're conducting a little raid." Minato coldly said the last part.

All shinobi present at the meeting wanted to volunteer for the said task. They wished to bring honor to their homeland by avenging it and the Uzukage's youngest son. It took about fifteen minutes for the council to make their decision and members for the five teams were picked.

"First squad will go to the Namikaze Estate and take all of its belongings. Same goes with the second group going inside the Uzumaki Estate. As soon as teams one and two arrive at their destination they are to begin immediately sealing everything. The third squad will go to the Hokage Tower and take all Namikaze and Uzumaki Clan's jutsus, and that's ranging from D to Forbidden. The fourth group will provide the first wave of chaos while teams one to three do their work. The fourth squad will blow up the Hokage Mountain. More specifically, my face. They think of me as their hero yet they treat my son like some kind of monster. Those fucking hypocrites. Fourth Squad will also destroy as many buildings near the Hokage Mountain. Fifth squad will be coming opposite the direction of the Mountain, also destroying as many buildings as possible.

While we're there, make sure you're all covered up. We're not to use any Suiton jutsus to not blow our cover. We won't be wearing Uzushio headbands. Once the first and second squads are done sealing everything, they are to blow up and destroy both Namikaze and Uzumaki estates. Once done, they are to head out to trash the eastern and western part of the village respectively. Kaede and I will blow up the market district and aid other teams via Hiraishin. Once the third group are finished taking the jutsus, they are to blow up the Hokage Tower. That signals the end of the raid."

"Well then, are all instructions clear?" Asked Kushina.

"Hai. Uzukage-sama."

"While we're going to raid Konoha for a bit, we'll bid more time and hasten strengthening our forces. We will gather some allies as well before we truly destroy Konoha. And if I remember correctly, Orochimaru is and still remains a friend of the Uzumaki. We also need to get in touch with him."

"That is all for today. The council look forward to Naruto-sama's retrieval."

"Very well. We will meet again once my baby's back in my arms. This meeting is adjourned."

 **Chapter One End**


	2. Chapter 2: The Rescue of the Maelstrom

**Chapter Two's Final Revision Date: November 13, 2018**

 **Chapter Two: The Rescue of the Maelstrom**

 **Konohagakre**

 **Inside the Namikaze Estate**

Two days have passed since Naruto was found and rescued from his attackers. He had a great time spending with his siblings. He'd been told not to go outside for his own safety. His siblings _transformed_ into normal civilians to buy him food and some clothing.

During those two days, the Namikaze siblings shared each other's stories. Naruto was told about his homeland. He was also given information about his heritage. Thirsty for more knowledge, he asked about their parents and their connection to Konoha.

With proper care and rest, Naruto's wounds healed properly. His malnutrition was being treated now that he had access to vitamins and medicine. He had three full meals and was allowed to have snacks whenever he wanted to. Of course, being the children of Kushina and Minato, Naruto was introduced to what the family considered "food of the gods": Ramen. At the moment he had instant ramen, while promised to be treated to the "real deal". Ramen by the Ichirakus. He learned that the Ichirakus were originally from Konoha as well.

 **Line**

It was three in the morning. The Namikaze siblings were all packed and were waiting for their uncle's return. There was a flash of yellow and soon Naruto found himself staring at a man who looked exactly like him, except that he was older and his hair was longer. With him was a man with red hair, who looked like Narumi. Accompanying them were four more people wearing long coats with hoods. They were also wearing masks with nothing but a blank design on it. All of them were dressed in black from head to toe.

The blonde man nodded to the four masked men and ordered them to move. The four scattered around the house and began sealing everything in it.

"Tou-san?" The young blond asked, still gaping at the man.

The man looked at the source of the voice. He found his youngest son staring at him, teary eyed. The boy asked again, "Are you really my father?" The man smiled at the boy warmly. Soon he found himself kneeling as the boy tackled him and started to cry.

"My son." He murmured, tears running from his yes. Their father and son moment were interrupted when buzzing noises were heard. "Third Squad in position. Waiting for orders." "Fourth Squad ready to blow things up, awaiting orders." "Fifth Squad ready for extra diversion, awaiting orders."

"Naruto, we will unite again later, okay? I'm bringing you to your mother." Minato didn't receive a response and realized the boy have fallen asleep on his arms. He stood up gently and asked Kaede for Naruto's backpack. "Alright everyone. Hold hands. I'm flashing us back to Uzushio."

In a flash, Narumi, Minako, Mio, Miho, and Naruto along with Minato were gone back to their home.

A few moments later and there was again a flash. This time Minato was accompanied by a Kushina clone. He turned the radio on his cloak and ordered, "Let the fun begin." Minato, Kaede, and the clone then proceeded to their target location.

 **Outside the Namikaze Estate – Konoha**

The people of The Village Hidden in the Leaves were enjoying their peaceful sleep. Not knowing of the events that will happen in the next moments. Not knowing of their so-called peace being disrupted.

Soon they were awoken by sounds of shrapnel and broken glass. The night skyline looked like burning daylight as buildings caught fire. The earth shook as the Yondamie Hokage's Face Sculpture blew up, crushing nearby buildings in the process. In the opposite direction of the Hokage Mountain, explosions were also everywhere. Structures collapsed, burned, and blew apart as they were hit by earth, fire, and destructive lightning jutsu.

There was widespread chaos and panic. The citizens of Konoha were not expecting an attack during their time of peace. The strength of their village got over their heads and the people believed no one would dare oppose them. The village's security became lax. And now they were paying for it.

The Konoha Shinobi tried to calm the villagers as they escorted them to the village's safe bunkers. That took them almost a third of an hour. As soon as the villagers were safe and as the Konoha Shinobi began preparations to fully retaliate, new explosions were heard on the village's eastern and western areas.

The Konoha shinobi were losing their cool, clearly not expecting an attack from all sides of the village. It made them think a huge number of enemy shinobi were behind it.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was busy reading an orange book. He was giggling like a little girl as he indulged himself to the story. His private time was interrupted when the ground shuddered and explosions awoke the whole village. He scrambled to hide his orange book under a floor board that was under his bed and changed into his green battle armor.

 ** _"Summoning: Monkey King"_** A monkey also wearing an armor appeared out of smoke.

"Enma, I am in need of your assistance."

"Of course. Let's go."

"Everyone, calm down! I am with you!" The Hokage shouted as he tried to rally the Konoha Shinobi. "Form into squads! Medic, tend to the wounded! All jounin and ANBU captains head to the areas under attack with your squads. Chuunins, you're to put out the fires while –" his orders cut off as a great explosion caught everyone's attention.

"Hokage-sama! The market district is on fire!" A panicking chuunin ran to him.

"Then put the fire out! Save the supplies!"

The Hokage was about to charge into one of the areas that was being attacked when he heard another great explosion. "Hokage-sama! The Hokage Mansion has been blown up!" An ANBU reported as he appeared beside his leader.

"THE REST OF YOU, FOLLOW ME!" The now angry Hokage roared. They stopped in their tracks when they heard magnified voices cover the whole village.

 ** _"Earth Release: Great Tremor!_** **"** The whole village shook as a great tremor destroyed many more buildings. The earthquake lasted for a good three minutes. When it was over, they heard the voices screaming another technique.

 ** _"Lightning Release: Thundergod's Flash!"_** From the four sides of the village, four thunder lines appeared and connected to the center. A small orb of light formed and grew steady until it was two dozen diameters big. The orb exploded and left everyone in the village a great ringing in the ears. A white flash was also produced inducing temporary blindness. The effect would last for an estimated five minutes.

The Inuzukas were affected the most due to their enhanced senses. The Hyuugas on the other hand fell to the ground holding their heads while some convulsed in pain. Most of those who had their Byakugan activated felt the brunt of it.

Meanwhile, most members of a certain clan were furious. Not because of the fact that they were under attack, it was the fact that the jutsu their unknown attackers used were widespread and powerful. With no vision of their enemy, there were no hands to look at. Without hands to look at, there were no justu to copy. It was a great loss for them.

Four more ANBU appeared coming from different directions and knelt to their leader, bearing the same report. "Sir! The enemies just disappeared, sir! We couldn't find a trace of them. They seem to have pulled out after the last explosion."

The Sandaime Hokage just sighed but was still angry. "Scatter. Put out the fires. But be on your guard. They might come back and try to take us again by surprise. I'm placing the village on a lockdown! No one's coming in or out the village. Anyone doing so will be treated as an enemy and will face heavy consequences!"

"Hai!" Replied all of the shinobi around.

"I want a detailed report once this fuss is all over and dealt with." And with that, everyone went to their assignments.

"Sarutobi, I'm going back. Summon me again should the mysterious attackers return." Enma said as he ported back to his home.

 **Uzushiogakure – before the raid**

"Bring our baby back." Whispered Kushina as she kissed her husband.

"I'll be back in a flash." Replied Minato. Kushina and the others smirked at the man's joke.

Minato was gone in a flash. He returned about two minutes later with Naruto asleep in his arms.

"My baby!" Exclaimed Kushina. "What happened to him?"

"Relax, mom. He's just sleeping. That's what also happened when we revealed to him that we were his siblings. He cried himself to sleep." Narumi smiled, looking at her little brother.

"I'll take him. I'll bring him to his room." Kushina said as she took Naruto from Minato.

"I'm going back to Konoha now. I still have to thank them for their kindness to Naruto."

"Wait. I'm sending a clone with you. I can't let you have all the fun now, can I?" Kushina said as she made a clone.

"I'll see you in half an hour." Minato kissed her wife and his son. "I'll be with you later, Naruto."

And with that, Minato disappeared again in a flash.

"Well done, you four." Kushina said as she turned to her children. "And thank you for bringing Naruto back to us. You may rest now. We have a big day ahead."

Kushina went to her son's new bedroom with Naruto still asleep in her arms. She gently put him down and kissed his forehead. "Welcome home, Naruto. Starting from now no harm will come to you. Kaa-san's here to protect you. I won't let Konoha or anyone take you away from me ever again." She whispered as she sat beside him, watching over him.

Naruto stirred from his sleep and opened his eyes. He saw a beautiful woman with red hair smiling gently at him. He murmured, "Kaa-chan" and sighed contentedly and went back to sleep.

 **Uzushio STORM's POV**

The first and second squads immediately started sealing off everything inside the estates while the third went to the Hokage Tower and waited. As soon as they heard an explosion, they wasted no time breaking inside the vaults, taking every scroll written by the Yondaime and the Uzumaki Clan.

The fourth squad quickly went to work and rigged the Yondaime Hokage's Face with explosives. When they were done, they made a distance before blowing it up.

 ** _"_** ** _Detonate!"_**

The whole village shook as the mountain exploded and damaged nearby buildings. The fourth squad went to work and demolished the buildings near their area. Using a combination of Katon, Raiton, and Doton jutsus, the buildings turned into rubble. Empowered by their clan's kekkei genkai, normal jutsus were several times stronger and easier to cast.

The fifth group followed suit, equipping the gates and walls with explosives before making a great distance while they waited for the signal. Once the mountain exploded, they also created a distance and detonated the gates. After that they immediately set to demolishing the other buildings.

After taking the Yondaime and Uzumaki Clan's scrolls, the third squad raided the shops, taking everything and setting the now empty shops on fire. After making sure the fire was spreading, they took off to a different section of the village to cause more havoc.

The raiders encountered only small resistance and were able to dispatch the Konoha shinobi easily, as they were all caught off-guard.

 **Minato's POV**

"I'll do my stuff. Do not wait for me. I'll just dispel myself when I'm done." The Kushina Clone told her husband.

Minato along with Kaede went to the Market District and sealed off all the valuable and usable items in there before setting the place on fire. The merchants who woke up early to prepare open their shops were knocked out, stripped off their expensive clothes and were left only wearing their undergarments.

"We're done here." Minato remarked.

"I just remembered about the Uzumaki Temple. We should raid it and recover the masks. They have the same properties like the ones from Uzushio. There are twenty-one masks that can only be worn by those from the Uzumaki Clan since using it required a lot of chakra. The masks have a connection to the Shinigami and when worn, it summons the entity who in turn, grants the user to bring back a person to life. It can only be done once every five years. They are the same masks we used to resurrect you. Thankfully Konoha doesn't know what the masks do." Kaede said.

"Ah, so if there are two sets, we could resurrect two people every five years?" Asked Minato.

"No." Kaede shook his head. "If one of the two sets are used, the other also goes into cooldown."

"I see. Let us go retrieve them then."

 **Kushina's POV**

With the chaos going on, the clone was able to slip inside the hospital easily and found the person she was looking for.

Nono worked at the hospital as a healer and had her own team. When the higher-ups learned of her intention of adopting Naruto, they got her son, Kabuto. They held him hostage and threated to kill him should she adopt the jinchurikii. She was then forced to work at the hospital on a night shift when not on missions as an ANBU.

Her shift was almost finished when the attack happened. Her instincts told her to wait inside as someone will come for her. Soon, a red-haired woman came in bursting the nurses' room. She was shocked to see her cousin Kushina alive, but remembered her conversation with Kaede a few days ago. She got over her shock and allowed herself to get dragged outside the hospital.

"Where's your son? We need to get to Kabuto." Kushina asked as they got past the hospital's gates.

"Hopefully he's inside our house. We're currently staying near the walls." Replied Nono, now taking lead.

Kushina cursed. "Let's hope your house still stands. Let us hurry."

Jumping from roof to roof, they arrived at their destination without hindrances.

"Kaa-san! Thank _Kami_ you're alive!" A boy with round glasses exclaimed, seeing his mother enter their home. She was followed by a red-haired woman.

"I am fine, son. Kabuto, meet your aunt, Kushina Namikaze."

"Hello, Kabuto." Nodded Kushina. "Nono, I thank you both for helping my son despite Konoha's efforts to keep you away."

"We're family. We're supposed to help each other. I must say, I didn't know he was your son. Although I knew he was also an Uzumaki."

"Still, thank you. Now, I'm sure my brother has told you about Uzushio."

"Yes. I was very happy when I found out. Even for a second, I didn't doubt Kaede. How is my sister doing?"

"Nami is doing fine. She's running a bookstore back home."

"That's great. I wish I can see her again soon."

"You will, cousin. But not yet. There's something I wish for you two to do."

Nono tried not to frown, realizing that her cousin was addressing them as the Uzukage. "What is it?"

"Uzushiogakure needs you two to spy for us. Can you do that?"

"Of course. You can count on us."

"Thank you. I shall take my leave. I still got to pay the council elders a visit." Kushina said as she got up. As she opened the door, she remembered something. "Oh. And Nono?"

"Yes?"

"Seal up water that should last for, say, three months. In thirty minutes, clean water will not be available for the village. I apologize in advance for the inconvenience it will cause you."

 **Line**

During the confusion, Kushina was able to slip inside the homes of Danzo, Koharu, and Homura. With the chaos going on, the houses were empty. Danzo was no doubt underground barking orders to his private army, while the other two were hiding at the village bunkers.

Kushina went undisturbed as she drugged every single stock of food and drink in the three houses. The poison would put them into a coma for five years. Upon waking up they will later learn that no matter what they do, they won't be able to fall asleep anymore. Should they take force sleeping jutsus or sleeping pills, they will only get a major headache. Only a certain sannin could heal them and remove the poison's effects. It was unfortunate that that person was far away from Konoha.

Kushina then went to the Hokage's house and raided his bedroom. She found nothing of importance but saw a pile of orange books and set them on fire.

Finally, Kushina headed to the Village's Water Supply Station and took out some special scrolls. She threw one inside each tank and from it, several gallons of purgatives came out. The special scrolls would eventually vanish after a few hours. Some would think it was a stupid childish prank, but it was a serious act of sabotage. Her job done, she dispelled herself.

The real Kushina was humming to her youngest when she received the clone's memories. She could not help but laugh maniacally. Thankfully, Naruto remained asleep. Her four older children who were still awake heard her mad cackling, getting chills down their spine. Somehow, they knew that Konoha was not just raided.

 **Minato, Kaede, and STORM's POV**

"Sir. The Hokage Mansion will explode in about two minutes." One of the teams reported.

Minato nodded. "Squads one to four, move to your positions."

"Hai."

"Sir, we are in position."

"Good." Minato looked at the building he once considered his house when he was still a leader of the village he was now raiding. "Wait for the explosion... Now!"

 ** _"Earth Release: Great Tremor!"_** Three minutes later, they called another jutsu.

 ** _"Lightning Release: Thundergod's Flash!"_**

While the Leaf shinobi suffered from the temporary blindness, the Uzu-nin rushed to their rendezvous point somewhere in the forest. Ordering everyone to link arms, Minato flashed them back to Whirlpool.

 **Uzushiogakure**

The shinobi forces of Uzushio awaited the return of the raiders. When they saw a yellow flash, all of them cheered and congratulated everyone for the successful operation.

The teams then went to deposit everything they looted. The weapons and armors were brought to the research facilities to be melted and used later. The other various items were also brought to their centers. Only the clothing remained to be donated to the hospitals and the orphanage.

 **Later that morning**

Naruto woke up feeling like Christmas arrived early. He remembered seeing his parents the night before.

"Good morning, Naruto." Naruto was alerted to such a melodious voice. He rose into a sitting position and focused on the beautiful red-haired woman smiling warmly at him. His heart beating fast, Naruto asked tentatively. "Kaa-san?"

The woman nodded, her smile widening. The boy jumped up and tackled her into a hug, all the while screaming, "Mother."

Mother and son hugged each other contentedly for several minutes before their moment was interrupted. Kushina giggled upon hearing her child's grouchy stomach. "Come now, Naruto-kun, let's get you breakfast."

"Good morning Naruto, how was your sleep?" A voice asked.

Naruto looked up and squealed seeing it was his father, "Tou-san! It was great! It's the best I've ever had _dattebayo!_ "

Minato was a bit horrified while Kushina smirked. He really was their son.

 _"He's so cute saying that. Although I hope he grows out of it."_ Kushina thought.

"Kaa-san. Did you hear that?" A new voice asked between sniggers.

"I heard it, _dattebane._ " Replied the woman, eliciting more laughter.

"Who knew Naruto would inherit it from you?" Asked Narumi as she appeared by the doorway.

Her question was answered by Naruto's growling stomach.

The whole family gathered at the table and began to eat. During the meal they of course conversed.

"Now, Naruto, what would you like to do? Where would you like to go?" Kushina asked her son after eating.

"Eh, I really don't know where to. I just want to spend more time with you all." Naruto smiled.

 **Back at Konoha**

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed as he looked over the village. His ever-present pipe in his mouth, puffing smoke. He remained facing the glass window when he heard the arrival of an ANBU. He set up temporary office at the unused Senju Mansion.

"ANBU Captain from Alpha Squad reporting in! As of this moment, the damaged infrastructures are the Yondaime Hokage's Face Sculpture, the Main Gates, the whole Market District, Namikaze and Uzumaki Estates, the Hokage Tower, and several hundred homes, with numbers still rising. As for the items, we lost everything from the shops. Upon investigation, we also found the Namikaze and Uzumaki estates emptied before they were blown up. At the Hokage Tower, we found the Vaults unharmed save two. The vaults owned by the Namikaze and the Uzumaki were found open and empty. Upon further inspection, we found remains of explosive tags that blew the whole Tower. Sir!"

The Hokage sensed the arrival of another ANBU and beckoned him to speak.

"ANBU Captain from Gamma Squad reporting in! The determined time when the raid started is five minutes past three o'clock in the morning. The attackers are yet to be known, as their clothing had nothing to indicate which village they were from. All wore plain black shinobi clothing from head to toe. Their numbers are estimated to have been at three hundred. The raid lasted for twenty-five minutes, concluding at three thirty o'clock. Sir!"

A third ANBU appeared, also bearing news. "ANBU Captain from Beta Squad reporting in. We now have the fires under control. Including the Namikaze Estate, Uzumaki Estate, and the Hokage Towe, we have three hundred and nine buildings in ruin. The number of injured personnel and villagers combined reached a thousand less twenty-two. There were no confirmed injured or fatalities on the enemy side. Surprisingly but thankfully, we also have zero casualties."

"The enemy focused on destroying buildings and mainly on that. Our forces didn't have the chance to battle them and figure their battle strengths and capabilities. The ones who tried have been found knocked out. It was surprising they weren't killed. Sir!" The ANBU Captain finished.

The old leader closed his eyes and sighed. "Very well. Dismissed."

Hiruzen prepared himself as he exited his temporary office to face his old teammates, the clan heads, and the civilian council. There really wasn't a civilian council per se, and they obviously had no power over him. They were consisted of the wealthiest merchants and landlords who brought huge income to the village. The Hokage simply did not bother to correct their assumptions and allowed them to some meetings that were not important, which were few. All they did was complain and request for favors.

After repeating what the ANBU told him, the Hokage waited in resignation as he watched their faces. No doubt, they were going to explode as soon as his words sunk in. He really hated their whining, especially the Uchiha, the Hyuuga, and the civilians.

"It is very clear," Began Danzo Shimura. "that Iwagakure is behind this. They hate the Yondaime for what he did. It would seem that they were still hell bent on avenging the army Minato destroyed using his Hiraishin. With him dead, they figured it was time for them to strike back and restore their strong image. But we will not let them go unpunished. We must go to war." His statement caused a few murmurs of agreement.

"Now, now, we must not rush into conclusions." Hiruzen immediately responded, before more of them could voice their agreement.

"Hmm, it could be Kumo." Suggested Hiashi Hyuuga. "You know them. They wanted our bloodline. They must be exacting their vengeance on us."

"Just because they tried to kidnap your daughter before that doesn't mean they were the ones responsible for this. Iwa is responsible." Countered Danzo.

"I agree with Danzo. But not with the Iwa being responsible part." Sarutobi stated. "The Yondaime Raikage holds a strong and high amount of respect to our Yondaime. I strongly doubt he would stoop so low just to destroy his monument and rob his prized jutsus."

"But what about that last technique they did. The _Thundergod's Flash_?"

"Don't forget the earth technique that lasted three minutes. They must be skilled in Earth Style to do that. Iwa is also a suspect."

"It could have been both Iwa and Kumo." Inoichi Yamanaka proposed.

There was another murmur of agreement.

"This could be the work of a smaller village. Why you ask? They want the world to recognize them by attacking us, one of the great nations. And by taking some of our scrolls, they will add it to their own arsenal to use it against us." Shibi Aburame added his input.

 _"_ _What a drag."_ Thought Shikaku Nara as he looked at everyone. Only Choza Akimichi seemed uncaring as he munched on his barbeque.

Fugaku could only huff in annoyance. It was his clan's duty to guard the village. The Uchiha Clan, after all, was the Police Force of Konoha. His clan's pride took a great wound for having been successfully caught off-guard. The village was attacked right under his nose. It happened to be his shift that night.

"Any more ideas?" The Sandaime inquired.

"The enemy did a great job, if I may say. They were able to mask their appearances well. Even our Byakugan cannot see through them." Hiashi paused before adding, "no doubt by some kind of seal."

"I agree." Tsume nodded. "Even our noses with the help of our partners cannot find the trail of their scent. They just vanished. We were able to track them to the forests outside the village, but their trail simply vanished." The frustration was clear in her voice.

"We must figure this out soon. If they were able to do us this great damage in twenty-five minutes, imagine if they launched a full-scale attack." Choza finally spoke, having finished his snack.

"We still have no idea if this was the work of a big village. It could have been an upstart group forming into a small village. It could be possible that this was a full-scale attack."

"No." Countered Shikaku. "There were no casualties. This was only a raid. And this worries me. Great village or not, these unknown enemies are fully capable. In half an hour they were able to demolish several hundred buildings and take a lot of valuable items, including some treasures from the Hokage Office. Once they were done, they were able to leave without any kind of traces."

Everyone went silent, nodding to his words. The Nara continued, "I've come to the conclusion that the raid's purpose was to send a message. But what is that message, exactly?" He asked rhetorically. "It is obviously related to the Yondaime. What annoys me is that I cannot figure it out."

"We could also consider Kumo and Iwa as suspects. But we cannot be sure. They could be rogue shinobi. Based on their last two attacks, only those who have natural affinities on earth and lightning could have done that."

"We will consider that. Thank you Shikaku. We will also try to decipher this message." The Hokage nodded as he prepared to stand up.

"Hokage-sama. What about our destroyed and looted shops? We will need help for recovery." One member of the self-appointed civilian council butted, much to the annoyance of the shinobi present.

"Indeed. In my case I only had one shop and that was my only means of earning money." Said another, he was nearly into tears.

"Several of my apartments were destroyed. I will be needing help as well." Another one said.

"Worry not about your businesses. We will provide assistance for repairs and lost valuables." Placated the Hokage.

"We can figure things out and especially that message the enemy were trying to convey. We will focus on our village's repairs and increase of defense." Sarutobi concluded. Everyone nodded and left for their homes or what was left of them.

"You have failed your duty." Koharu reminded Fugaku, who was one of the last persons to leave.

"Do not fail next time." Added Homura.

Fugaku seethed. They were insulting his clan.

"Now, now. My friends, let us not blame the Uchiha Police. All of us were at fault. We became too arrogant and proud, believing nobody would dare attack us. We were caught off guard." The Hokage said in a patronizing manner, angering the Uchiha further. "Dismissed"

 **Back in Uzushiogakure**

Word about Naruto's return travelled fast. After the meeting, the story of his life in Konoha spread like wildfire. Naturally, everyone felt sorry for him and wanted to deliver bodily harm to every single person that was affiliated with Konoha.

Of course, they were also happy upon finding him alive and now back to the village. The village put it upon themselves to throw a grand celebration for the youngest Uzumaki Heir's return. The people of Uzushio were eager to show Naruto that they were different from Konoha. He will be welcomed as a hero for being the Kyuubi no Yoko's jailer, treated with respect and as a normal person. Not because he was the son of the Uzukage, but because he was also a human being like them.

The Uzumaki-Namikaze family spent their morning walking around the village. Everyone they passed by waved or bowed to them to which they gladly returned. Some of the people were pointing and whispering at Naruto excitedly. The boy felt nervous at first, thinking that they were hostile towards him. Eventually he realized they were not and were smiling at him, greeted him like they did to his family. Some girls they passed by pointed at him and began squealing on how cute he was. Naruto's eyes widened in confusion, something the young females found even more adorable. His siblings of course noticed this and took note of it for later teasing.

 _"Heh. Just like his old man."_ _Minato thought with a smug grin._ _"_ _He'll be a chick magnet when he gets older. If he's already making girls swoon at this age I wonder when he grows up and starts to develop his body from training. I'm so proud."_

 _"Hmph. I need to watch out for my Naruto-kun even more. In no time girls will soon flock at my baby! And then soon they'll have kids. And then they're going to take my baby from me! No, no!"_ Kushina shook her head.

Naruto then asked if they could go to the bookstore. His family, initially surprised with the request, complied. He bounced excitedly as they entered the shop. Before he got kicked out from the orphanage, Nono used to read him books before he slept. Unlike most kids, he liked hearing real stories of the past, and were not interested in children's bedtime stories. At a young age he has taken a liking to history. When he got kicked out, he no longer had access to the books he liked to read. The librarian refused to allow him entry whenever he paid a visit to the Konoha Library. Now that he's in Uzushio, he can read whatever he liked.

"Good morning! How may I help you?" The store manager greeted, keeping her eye on the giddy boy who entered her shop. Naruto returned a shy greeting before running off to pick the books he wanted to read.

"Uzukage-sama! How may I help you?" The now astonished woman asked as she and her family followed after the boy. She knew that the Uzukage didn't like reading that much, so it was a surprise to her.

"Hello. My son requested that we visit your bookstore. Can you help him pick out some reading material? Preferably History as he's into the topic."

" _Son…?"_ _The clerk thought for a moment before a memory clicked. "_ _Naruto-sama!"_ _"_ _Of course,_ mam! Please have a seat while waiting. Also feel free to check out our books, our new stock might interest you." The lady said before walking off to assist Naruto.

Naruto was currently dragging a basket filled with books entitled, "The History of the World", "From Man to Shinobi: The Birth of Ninshu", "Hagaromo Otsutsuki – Rikudo Sennin", "The Five Great Nations", "The Great Shinobi War", "The Second Shinobi War", and "The Third Shinobi War". He was currently staring at a shelf with some weird writings. He was fascinated by the intricate markings in it.

"Ah, Fuinjutsu." The clerk said as she stood beside him. "Please let me carry the basket for you Naruto-sama."

Naruto could only stare at the woman, unused to people being kind to him. Neither to being called with respect. He was more familiar with the term "demon brat" than "Naruto-sama". Reluctantly he gave the basket to the woman for him to carry.

"I apologize. I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Nami." The woman smiled. "That, Naruto-sama, is the shelf for Fuinjutsu books. We Uzumakis are feared of our Fuinjutsu. We excelled at it. I'm sure you will become a seal master in no time once you started learning it. Would you like to have them?"

"Yes please. I'll have the "Introduction to Fuinjutsu", "Basics of Fuinjutsu", "Fuinjutsu: Beginners" please. Thank you."

 _"Such a polite boy."_ She smiled as she reached for the mentioned books. Naruto was too small to reach the higher shelves. "Is there else anything you'd like, Naruto-sama?"

"These will do. Thank you." Naruto replied as they walked to the counter to pay for the books.

"Uzukage-sama. Your son is an interesting one, he is into informative books at his young age. He's also interested in Fuinjutsu. Your total cost for the other books would be 8,400 yen. As a welcome present the Fuinjutsu books are free of charge." Nami grinned.

Naruto widened his eyes. Back in Konoha, everything cost more than 10,000 yen. They always sold him overpriced products. He remembered that one time he bought a bottle of water and was charged 13,000 yen. "A-are you sure miss? I can have the other books for free? Wouldn't you lose your business?" The boy asked timidly.

Nami smiled kindly at him, telling him that it won't lose her business. "Consider those books as gifts, Naruto-sama. Welcome back to Uzushiogakure."

To everyone's surprise Naruto tackled her into a hug.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You're so kind." The boy blabbed rapidly, trying not to cry.

"You're always welcome here in my shop. You can have any book you like with discounts."

The boy was still expressing his gratitude after his mother paid for his purchases. Stopping only when he heard a growling sound caused by his stomach.

As promised by his siblings, they introduced Naruto to Ichiraku's Ramen. Kushina was excited for her son to try it. After all, it was her favorite food and to her there was no other greater than it.

Six months after the supposed destruction of Uzushiogakure and extinction of the Uzumaki Clan, the Ichirakus tried to live their life normally without their frequent customers. The death of Kushina and her children hit them hard. They mourned for the loss of a great clan. After their death, the Ichirakus eventually saw Konoha's dark nature, and were sickened by it.

One evening as they were closing shop, a man asked them if they wanted to leave Konoha, offering a better place. They were promised a better life and a bigger restaurant to start with if they left and moved to the man's country, as per his leader's request. Naturally, Teuchi and Ayame wondered who the man's leader was and his country of origin. However, the man would not tell as it was a secret and will only be revealed when they agree to his terms. Having enough of Konoha, Teuchi agreed. The father and daughter were overjoyed upon learning of Uzushiogakure's status. As promised, they were given land enough for them to build a decent house and a huge restaurant. To show their gratitude, the members of the Uzumaki-Namikaze family were given discounts every time they visited.

"Hey, old man!" Kushina greeted as she entered the restaurant followed by her family.

"Uzukage-sama!" Teuchi bowed in turn as the newcomers occupied a table.

"Awww, come on. Don't call me that. I'm your number one customer. Let's get rid of the pleasantries, ya know? You're like family to me."

"Hehehe. Sure thing, Kushina-san. What would you like to eat?" Teuchi asked as he approached their table and gave them the menu.

"For starters, we'll have have five bowls of Kushina Special for each of us! And an even bigger bowl for my baby boy here." Kushina grinned, patting her youngest son.

"Hmmm?" Teuchi wondered as his eyes landed at the boy. "Blue eyes, yellow hair, mini version of Minato… Naruto?! It's you! You're back! Welcome back! I'm Teuchi Ichiraku." Teuchi beamed as he excitedly shook Naruto's hand. A girl came out from the kitchen having heard her father shouting.

"Ayame-chan, come here and meet our Number One customer's youngest son, Naruto." Her father called.

"Hello, Naruto-kun, it's good to finally meet you. I've been thinking about you a lot lately. I'm Ayame." Ayame said hugging the boy as she was too excited and thought Naruto was cute.

Said boy blushed at the girl's action. He wasn't used to being talked to nicely by people and didn't know what to say. More so, he was used to receiving bodily harm. Warm hugs were a new thing for him.

"W-what w-would you like t-to eat?" Ayame stammered, face flushed. She just hugged him!

Teuchi and the Naruto's family noticed this of course, and laughed at the two's expense.

"They already placed their orders. Here, they'll have two bowls of "Kushina Special each and an even bigger bowl for Naruto-kun here."

"H-hai. I'll be back at the kitchen." Ayame hurriedly walked away, still blushing madly.

"Teuchi-san, prepare some food for you and Ayame-chan as well. You're joining us to lunch." Kushina said.

"H-hai. I'll prepare the food. Please enjoy the television while waiting. Thank you." Teuchi said as he retreated to the kitchen.

"Naruto-kun's got a crush on Ayame-chan!" Miho and Mio chanted.

"Say, otouto, do you think she's pretty?" Minako teased.

"Well, yeah." Naruto mumbled.

"What? You think she's pretty?" Narumi repeated the question while stifling her giggle.

"What? No." Her brother quickly denied.

"So she's ugly?"

"No! She's very pretty! And I think she's cute when her face got red. I mean, wait-WHAT?"

"Got you!" Narumi and the others were now laughing as Naruto's face reddened in embarrassment.

The young girl was listening to the conversation outside. _"Awww. He thinks I'm very pretty? And he also called me cute? Oh my!"_ Ayame thought before fainting.

Her father noticed and caught her before she hit the ground. _"My, oh my. My daughter has a crush on the Uzukage's youngest son. I was starting to think my Ayame-chan was a tomboy."_ Teuchi thought, chuckling as he propped her daughter on the couch and went back to preparing their lunch.

A few minutes later Ayame regained consciousness. "Ugh. What happened?"

"You sort of fainted." His father snickered. "Come on now let's serve them their orders. Try not to faint again, okay?"

Ayame scoffed.

"Aw. My daughter's finally growing up. Ayame-chan's found her soulmate." Teuchi wiped a fake year.

"Tou-san!" Ayame yelled indignantly.

"Your orders are here!" Teuchi proclaimed as he and his daughter placed the food on their customer's table. "And here's a very special bowl for our newest customer!"

The Namikaze family and the two Ichirakus ate their lunch and shared stories. Naruto had stars on his eyes as he ate his ramen. He took his time savoring the flavor and felt each string of the noodle. He instantly fell in love with Ichiraku's Ramen. Several bowls later, Naruto felt sleepy from eating too much.

"That was awesome! Thank you for the foo-" Naruto said as he tried to stifle a yawn.

 _"He's also cute when he's yawning. He looks so innocent."_ Ayame thought.

Naruto caught her staring and stared back, then showed her his best smile that will make all ladies swoon.

Ayame was startled when Naruto stared back at her and suddenly grinned. Her face turned redder than a tomato and then fainted.

Everyone noticed the interaction between the two and tried their best not to laugh as Ayame's head dipped on the bowl of ramen.

 **Scene Break**

Naruto woke up and found himself back in his room.

"Naruto, you're awake! Come on, let's have some snacks. After that we're going out to buy you new clothes. Tomorrow we will be introducing you to the whole village." Narumi dragged him off the bed.

"Yo. Otouto, have you prepared your speech yet?" Minako asked seeing Naruto come down.

"Speech?"

"Yeah. You'll be introduced to the village tomorrow. You need to make your speech." The twins confirmed.

"Uhh… Okay. Narumi nee-chan, can you help me with the speech?" Naruto asked his elder sister still not picking up with the joke.

Narumi went into a thinking pose before replying. "How about no?"

Naruto pouted. His eyes seemed to magnify and went teary.

"Awwwww, Naruto-kun, we were just joking." Narumi said as she hugged her little brother.

 **Chapter Two End.**


	3. Chapter 3: The Lost Maelstrom's Returned

**Tobi: HE'S BACK! HE'S FINALLY BACK! WELCOME BACK JRL SENPAI!**

 **JRL: Thank you. Aaaaah, finally. Sorry for the long wait guys. I've been confined in the hospital for two days.**

 **Tobi: It's okay senpai. Tobi understands. Because Tobi is a good boy.**

 **JRL: Since you are a good boy Tobi, I'll have you do the honors.**

 **Tobi: Yay! Tobi will have dangos!**

 **Deidara: Just do it Tobi. The people are waiting. Hmmm.**

 **Tobi: Sheeesh, I'll do it senpai! Disclaimer: JRL doesn't own Naruto.**

 **Deidara: Time to read Chapter Three, Hmmm.**

 **Chapter Three: The Lost Maelstrom Has Returned**

The people of Uzushiogakure started their day early and went decorating for today's event and tomorrow. They have been told there will be a double celebration as today was October the 10th, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze's birthday, and yesterday was the day he returned to Uzushio. They didn't throw a celebration yet since the Uzukage's family wished to enjoy their day with their lost and now found family member first.

Everywhere in the village had been decorated for celebration. Flags with a number 5 on it with a cake background can be seen throughout the village, signifying Naruto's 5th Birthday. While the whole village were preparing, the birthday boy was still asleep in his room.

"Mmmm. Ayame-chan. This is so good. Mmmm." Naruto mumbled in his sleep.

His parents and his siblings walked into his room carrying a cake, a bowl of ramen, party poppers, and banners and was about to wake him when they heard him mumbling. Naturally, they were horrified when they heard the five year old boy mumbling something "good" about a girl.

"Aaaah. That was good. I'd like a second round Ayame-chan." Naruto said as he continued to talk in his sleep.

 _"_ _What the? Kami, no. What happened to my innocent baby boy? Jiraiya! I'm going to kill you!"_ Kushina thought.

Minato were having mixed emotions. He wasn't sure if he should laugh or be angry. Naruto's siblings however were trying hard not to laugh while their mother looked horrified.

"Ayame-chaaaaan. Ichiraku's ramen is the best. This is indeed the food of the gods. I will always eat here. Can I have a third bowl?" Naruto asked in his sleep.

His siblings and his father burst laughing while Kushina looked relieved. Soon she joined laughing while Naruto enjoyed having ramen in his dreams.

"Ramen. Mmmmm." Naruto mumbled as the smell of ramen that was being held by his mother reached his nostrils.

"Naruto-kun." His mother called.

"Mmmm."

"Naruto-kun."

"More ramen."

"Wake up."

"Huh?"

"It's your birthday."

"Your birthday? Happy birthday to you." Naruto sang, still asleep.

"No, it's your birthday." Kushina giggled.

"Happy birthday to meeee." Kushina laughed.

"Naruto-kun. Wake up." Finally, Naruto woke up.

"Kaa-chan. Tou-san. Narumi neechan. Minako niisan. Miho neechan. Mio niisan. Good morning!"

"Good morning Naruto-kun" They all replied. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

"My birthday?" Naruto asked, smiling. His eyes widened as realization hit him. It was his birthday. It was his birthday! Bad memories came flooding back as he shook his head and started to panic.

"No, no. Please, don't hurt me. Please leave me alone. I haven't done anything wrong. I'm not a demon. Go away!" Naruto cried as he tried to hide himself in a corner cowering in fear.

His family stopped dead in their tracks as they watched him.

"Oh my god. What have they done to my baby?" Kushina whispered. As a mother, the pain she felt was doubled. Watching her son cowering in fear during his birthday when he was supposed to be happy broke her heart.

"Naruto-kun?" His siblings asked with concern. Narumi and Miho also started to cry for their little brother.

Minato's mind was racing. His blood boiled. _"What have they done to my son? The village that I laid my life for did this. I'm going to kill them! I'm going to kill them! Konoha! You're going to burn!"_ Unconsciously, he was releasing a huge amount of killing intent that made his son cry even more.

"Please don't hurt me!" Naruto pleaded as he felt a huge amount of killing intent. His mind brought him back to Konoha and started to see a huge mob trying to kill him.

"Tou-san, please calm down. You're scaring Naruto-kun even more." Minako said as he tried to calm his father. His father was shaking with rage. Minako and Mio also seethed but managed to calm themselves.

The mother was the first to recover. Although she still felt heartbroken seeing her son like that.

"Naruto-kun. Please don't cry. We're not going to hurt you." Kushina tried to comfort her son as she slowly approached him.

"Ka… Ka-chan? Is… Is that you?" Naruto asked as he felt someone approach him.

"Yes Naruto-kun. It's Ka-chan." Kushina said as she took her son into her arms hugging him tight.

"Ka-chan, they are going to kill me. They are going to kill me. Ka-chan I swear, I haven't done anything wrong. Tell them I'm not a demon. Please tell them to stop hurting me." Naruto sobbed.

"I will sochi, I will. They won't hurt you anymore. You're safe, I promise. I won't let them hurt you."

The day was supposed to start off good. But Naruto's family didn't realize how deep his wounds and fears were. Kushina then recalled Naruto's medical files when Kaede gave it to her. More than twenty-five percent of them were dated October the 10th.

"Promise?"

"Yes, sochi-kun. That's a promise."

"Okay." Replied the boy as he finally smiled. Believing his mother's words.

"Now Naruto-kun. You should blow the candle and make a wish." Minato indicated the cake as he tried to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, and your ramen's getting cold." Narumi added.

Naruto's stomach replied by growling. "Oh yeah. I dreamt I was eating ramen."

Narumi and Miho giggled.

"Yeah, we heard you. We also had this ramen cooked by Ayame-chan for you. I'm sure you'd love it."

"Of course dattebayo!" Naruto cheered, getting back to his usual happy and cheery self. His family sang "Happy Birthday" and then the boy blew the candle. Naruto then began eating the huge bowl of ramen. In a few minutes the bowl was empty.

"Ichiraku's Ramen is really the best!"

"Of course dattebane! You can have more later. Let's go downstairs and get you prepared for today's event."

"Oh yeah, Naruto-kun, have you prepared your speech yet? I'm sure the girls in the village would like to hear your speech specially Ayame." Minako asked while his other siblings snickered.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaat? I thought Narumi Nee-chan said that was a joke!" Naruto pouted as he blushed with the thought of Ayame wanting to listen to his speech.

"It was! Hahahahaha!" His siblings laughed.

"Enough of that you four. Let's go downstairs." Kushina scolded as she carried Naruto and left the room followed by Minato. The four soon followed after their parents while still snickering. Their little brother was too easy to tease.

"Hello, Naruto-kun. Happy birthday!" A man who looked like Kushina greeted the boy as they reached the living room. It was the same man Naruto saw with his father before they teleported to Uzushio. Beside the man was a boy who looked the same age as Narumi. His hair was long touching his shoulder blades. Like most of the Uzumaki, he too had red hair.

"Um, hi. Thanks!"

"I haven't introduced myself yet, have I? I'm your Uncle Kaede. I'm your Ka-chan's elder brother. With me is your cousin, Nagato. The two with him are his best friends Konan and Yahiko."

Naruto now noticed two other people beside Nagato. The girl had blue hair tied into a bun while the other boy had orange hair. Somehow he almost looked like Naruto.

"Hello cousin/Naruto-san, happy birthday!" Nagato and Yahiko greeted.

"Hello Naruto-kun. I'm Konan. But you can call me Konan-chan! Happy birthday!"

Naruto was still feeling a little cautious. He wasn't used to people being nice to him and greeting him on his birthday. But he still managed to smile and thanked the people who greeted him. He could start getting used to people being nice to him. After all, they weren't Konoha. He curiously inspected the four people and his eyes landed last and rested on Konan's beautiful face.

"Oh my god you're so cute!" Konan squealed as she rushed and hugged the boy, pressing his head to her glorious orbs. Naruto's face immediately went red.

Fortunately Kushina went to Naruto's rescue and managed to release him from the girl's grasp as he was starting to have difficulty breathing. He was still blushing when Konan released him.

"Is our otoutou blushing? Look, his face is red." Miho and Mio both said.

"Oooooh, could it be that our Naruto-kun has got a crush on Konan-chan?" Narumi asked.

"Look at him, he's blushing. Of course he does!" Minako said as they laughed.

"Awww. Do you really have to tease me with every girl I meet?" Their youngest brother asked.

"Yes!" His siblings replied in unision.

Naruto cutely pouted as his eyes seemed to get bigger. Konan found his blue eyes very attractive and couldn't resist the boy's cuteness. "So adorable. Beautiful. It's like the face of an angel. Kami-sama thank you for letting me meet him." Konan whispered before she fainted.

All of them stared at the girl's unconscious form.

 _"_ _My, Naruto-kun. You really are a ladies' man. I'm so proud."_ Minato thought.

 _"_ _Wow. Like father, like son."_ Kaede thought.

Meanwhile Kushina were having trouble. She was thinking of ways to keep the girls away from her baby. _"He's only five, dattebane! I'm not letting them take my Naruto-kun from me!"_

"Yahiko. It seems you have competition." Nagato remarked as he found the scene amusing.

"Oh, no. Not you too!" Naruto shouted, almost crying, at Nagato.

The whole family laughed at the scene while Naruto's face grew redder.

"Alright. Let's have breakfast. Everyone, gather around the dining table." Kushina decided to interrupt before things escalated.

 **2 Hours Later**

Naruto was now wearing a light blue kimono as his hair was being fixed by Kushina.

"Ugh. Does this ever go down?" Kushina asked in frustration as she tried to get her son's hair go down.

"I guess it's just like mine. Let it be." Minato said.

"But he needs to look formal! Get down!" Kushina shouted at her son's stubborn hair.

"He looks fine to me."

"Ugh. Okay, I give up. Come on, Naruto-kun. Your uncle is waiting for you downstairs. He said he's going to give you something."

"Do you think he's going to be alright?" Kushina whispered to her husband as they went downstairs with Naruto going first.

"He will be fine." Minato replied although he also looked unconvinced. They worried about what happened earlier.

"I'll be fine Ka-chan, Tou-chan. Do not worry about me." Naruto told his parents having heard them talking about him. He gave them one of his foxy grins making his parents smile back. Although he didn't really understand what his parents were worried about him for.

 **Uzukage's Mansion, Balcony**

The whole of Uzushiogakure gathered at the bottom of the mansion, civilian and shinobi alike. Some were carrying banners that said "Welcome Home", "Happy Birthday", or "We love you Naruto-sama". They were anxiously waiting for the Uzukage and her family, and especially, the Lost Maelstrom. There were talks about different things. Some of the shinobi were wondering if they're finally revealing themselves to the world. Some of the civilians were just talking happily that Naruto came back safe. The young girls were gossiping excitedly. Those who have seen Naruto were telling their friends how cute and charming he was. The boys on the other hand were talking about his awesomeness. Finally the Uzumaki-Namikaze Family appeared all wearing kimonos. With them were the Head of the STORM, Kaede, and his son, Nagato. Four members of the family's household were at the back, waiting for orders or to give assistance. There were also nine top members of STORM stationed at the balcony, surrounding the family.

The Uzukage stepped forward and immediately everyone became silent as they waited for her to talk.

"People of Uzushiogakure! I thank you all for coming here and celebrating with us. My heart is filled with gratitude seeing you all concerned with our family. Four years ago, an allied force of Iwa, Kumo, and Kiri tried to eliminate us. We found out that Konoha was also to blame for the attack. Despite our victory, we still suffered heavy losses. An unknown assailant infiltrated the mansion and took my infant son away. We were all made to believe that he was killed by incineration. For four years we mourned for the loss of my son. You shared my pain and my sorrow. For that I will be forever thankful to each and every one of you."

The crowd cheered and felt happy hearing their Uzukage thank them. They went silent again as their leader continued her speech.

"A few nights ago, I, my husband, and my four children had a shared dream. We saw a boy being beaten and tortured by a mob. We saw how those people hated the boy when he had done nothing wrong to deserve what they were giving him. We recognized the boy and we believed it was actually happening and decided to find him. I ordered my children and my brother to come to Konoha and look for him. My brother came back and confirmed his findings about the boy. What we saw in the dream my brother also saw in that village. He came back with documents about the boy confirming he was indeed my lost son, Naruto. Every single person here I'm sure were informed about the reports in the documents. After the meeting with the council, we have decided to let the news spread to every person living here in Uzushio. I know many of you demanded blood when you found out what Konoha did to my son. And for that, as a mother, I once again thank you."

The Uzukage bowed as the crowd murmured and returned the bow. She then continued.

"When my son was found, we immediately made plans to have him returned here safely. A decision was made and every shinobi volunteered for the raid that has been agreed upon. Five raiding teams were formed and went to Konoha to fulfill the mission. The mission, Operation Lost Maelstrom: Retrieve Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze and return the kindness that Konoha has given to us. Both missions were successful. My son was able to safely return and the raiding squads gave Konoha a piece of our gratitude. Konoha didn't know and still have no leads on who attacked them. They blamed the other shinobi countries who attacked our homeland four years ago. They believed they were the ones responsible."

The crowd laughed and jeered at Konoha's stupidity. The Uzukage raised her hand and the crowd went silent once again.

"I know you have been waiting to meet him ever since the news spread. I will not make you wait any longer. People of Uzushiogakure, meet the Lost Maelstrom, my son, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto!"

The crowd cheered as the youngest heir stepped forward and presented himself to everyone. He smiled and waved at them. They happily returned the gesture and the blonde felt overwhelmed, but happy.

"Naruto-sama! Welcome back!"

"We have been waiting for your return!"

"We hope you're doing well, Naruto-sama!"

"Uzushiogakure loves you!"

Naruto felt so welcomed. He stared at the crowd as he gave them his foxy grins. He looked a bit uncomfortable and shuffled his feet but then he held out his hand and the crowd went silent for a moment.

"Ummm. Hello. People of Uzushiogakure! I thank you for the warm welcome. I uh… promise that I will do my best so you will all like me. I will do what I can to become a good role model as the son of the Uzukage. Thank you."

His family was of course surprised that he even managed to make a short speech. They were nonetheless proud of him. The crowd burst again into cheers and applause.

"Naruto-sama you are so cool!"

"Please sign me your autograph!"

"Naruto-sama!"

"Naruto-sama!"

 _"_ _Demon!"_

 _"_ _Go away!"_

 _"_ _Die! Kyuubi brat!"_

 _"_ _Demons have no place here! Go back to hell! Die!"_

Bad memories started to haunt him as he stared at the huge crowd. He remembered back in Konoha a huge crowd always gathered against him and did unspeakable things to him. He unconsciously made a step back while clutching his head.

The crowd were confused as they watched the boy's face turn into a scared look from a happy look. Their Naruto-sama was now cowering in fear. They didn't understand why.

"No! Please, don't hurt me! I'm not a demon. Why can't you see that? Go away!" The young heir screamed as he curled into a ball shaking and crying.

"Oh my… My baby." Kushina said as a tear fell down to her cheek. She immediately recovered and nodded to her other children. Narumi and Minako carefully approached their little brother and guided him back inside the mansion.

"No! Please! Don't hurt me! I haven't done anything wrong!" The boy sobbed as he felt a warm presence.

Narumi hugged her little brother and carried him away back to the mansion, closely followed by Minako and the twins. The Uzukage also ordered her household to assist her children.

The crowd watched them sadly as Naruto was taken back inside the mansion. They now realized what happened to the boy. The crowd began murmuring to their selves and watched as their Uzukage stepped forward and faced them once again.

"Uzukage-sama!"

"Uzukage-sama! Is this the work of Konoha?"

"How could they do this to someone so innocent?"

"Konoha must pay for their crimes!"

"Konoha must burn! Let all those who have done him wrong experience the same pain they gave to Naruto-sama!"

"Yeah!"

"Blood for blood!"

"An eye for an eye!"

"Fuck you Konoha!"

"Blood!"

"Blood!"

The Uzukage's mind was racing. The people demanded blood. She too wanted revenge for her son and for Uzushiogakure. But no, they were still hidden and needed to become stronger. She wanted her son to get strong first before they exact their vengeance on Konoha. Her father, the previous Uzukage, still had plans that needed to be done. She must do those first before they decide to reemerge back to the world. She made a resolve and ordered the crowd to become silent.

"My brethren, I understand your desire for blood. As a mother I wanted nothing but pain for those responsible for my son's misfortunes. But no, as your leader, I must keep a straight and clear mind. We will go to war, yes. But not yet."

All eyes were on her now.

"Uzushiogakure still remains hidden. To the world, the Uzumaki Clan were extinct. But Uzushiogakure and the Uzumaki Clan are very much alive. We are bidding our time and are getting ourselves become stronger. We are gathering allies while being discreet. We are also making research for war machines that will help us in the future once we finally decide to reemerge back to the world. We will remind them why we were feared. They were right to fear us. But deciding to exterminate us was never a great idea. We only have a few years left lying low before we decide to reappear. When that time comes, the world will know true fear. WE WILL MAKE THEM PAY!"

Everyone, shinobi and civilian alike roared their approval and cheered. For the last time, their leader raised her hand and they went silent.

"Today is my son's fifth birthday. Let us celebrate his return and forget about his oppressors for now. Also I must ask of you not to mention about his status when he is around. He doesn't know yet about the Kyuubi no Yoko being sealed inside him yet. Let us celebrate! Let the world celebrate! For this will be one of their last celebrations! The Lost Maelstrom has returned to his homeland and when the time comes, Uzushiogakure will rule the world!"

And with that, Kushina and Minato retreated back to the mansion to check on their son while Kaede and the STORM went back to their duties. The crowd cheered and roared their approval of their leader's words.

 **Uzukage Mansion**

"How is my baby?" Kushina asked as she entered her son's room and found him sleeping with Miho and Mio beside him.

"He is doing fine now. It took him ten minutes before he finally calmed down and believed he was safe from harm. The crowd really did scare him and brought back bad memories." Minako said as he stood up and let his mother approach Naruto.

"Kaasan, Tousan. What are we going to do?" Narumi asked.

"Just give him time. Time heals wounds. Well, not really. The scars will remain but yeah, you catch my drift." Minato replied.

"Yes. We will just show him that we love him. The villagers will also see to that. He will overcome his fears if given the time. That fear will drive him to become stronger in the future. That fear will be converted into his ultimate weapon where no one will be able to do him harm again. Konoha will see to that." Kushina said.

The mother raised her hand and one of the servants approached.

"Yes, Uzukage-sama?"

"Can the four of you go to Ichiraku's and order 30 bowls of Kushina Special Ramen and bring it back here?"

"Hai, Uzukage-sama."

"Thank you. Just tell Teuchi-san to put the bill in our tab."

"Ramen helps me with depression, dattebane. Naruto-kun's favorite is also ramen. I'm sure it will cheer him up when he wakes up." Kushina said answering her eldest daughter and son's questioning looks.

Kushina, Minato, and his siblings stayed with Naruto until he woke up about an hour later.

"Naruto-kun, how are you feeling?" His father asked.

"Hmmm. Fine."

"Sochi, you don't sound fine. Please tell mommy what's on your mind." Kushina said as she held his sons hands.

Naruto remained silent for a minute as he stared at the window. There was something that still bothered him. He was pondering if he should ask his parents.

"Kaa-chan. Tou-chan."

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"Do you really love me?"

Kushina and Minato looked at each other. Naruto's siblings looked surprised at the question.

"Of course, sochi. Why would you think otherwise?"

"Well, you didn't try to look for me when I was kidnapped. I was dumped into Konoha and my life was made very miserable."

Kushina looked like she had been sucker punched. She felt speechless. She reached for her son and tried to hug him.

"Naruto-kun, I'm so sorry. I was so scared back then. I became depressed for a year. After that I tried to live my life normally. Father prohibited me from going out to look for you. We had to lay low for a while. We tried tracking your signature but we couldn't. We believed you really died. Forgive us, Naruto-kun. Please forgive your Ka-chan." Kushina sobbed.

"Kaa-chan. I'm still scared."

"Naruto-kun..." Minato also felt speechless.

"What if they come back? What if they find out about me? What if they take me again? What will you do?"

"Naruto-kun, we are very sorry for letting you go that easily. Ever since that night we dreamt about you, I have been living in regret every day. I asked myself everyday what if I actually tried to look for you, and then you wouldn't have experienced your misfortunes in life. You wouldn't have lived your first years in life in fear of being mistreated. I'm so sorry." Kushina explained while her tears still flowed down.

"Naruto-kun. Forgive me as well, it was my fault. I was the one who sealed-" Minato stopped himself. He almost spilled and told him about Kyuubi.

"Please forgive us Naruto-kun. We promise to become better parents for you and your siblings. Naruto-kun, we promise you Konoha will never come back. They will not take you away again. If they do find out about you, we will do everything we can to stop them from getting their filthy hands on you. If it comes for the need to kill them, we will not hesitate. We love you Naruto-kun. We will protect you."

"That's a promise?"

"Yes, Naruto-kun, we promise." Kushina said as she hugged her son tighter.

They remained silent for about five minutes just hugging each other before Naruto finally smiled.

"Kaa-chan, Tou-chan."

"Yes Naruto-kun?"

"I want to become a ninja. I want to become strong. If Konoha comes for me, I will be able to defend myself. I also want to become strong to able to protect Uzushiogakure from her enemies. Can you enroll me to the academy?"

His family smiled at his proclamation.

"Of course, Naruto-kun. We want you to become strong. We'll let you join the academy if that's what you wish." Kushina said as she released her son and put her hands on his cheeks.

Naruto cheered.

"Umm, may I have the ramen?"

His parents chuckled as Minato nodded and gave him a bowl.

Naruto's problem was finally solved in the morning. He continued celebrating his birthday and went outside to greet and thank the villagers. He spent his afternoon roaming the village. He received many gifts from the villagers. He got new clothes, new books, and ninja toys. Some of the shinobi gave him a set of real kunai and shuriken. He received books from the bookstore owner, Nana. Naruto received twenty-five eat-all-you-can-ramen for free coupons, five hundred 90% off ramen coupons from Teuchi, and a kiss from Ayame which left him dazed for about an hour. Nagato and his two best friends, Yahiko and Konan, gave him a black robe with red clouds designed on it, a pair of katanas, and another kiss from Konan that made the boy become dazed for another hour. His Uncle Kaede gave him a tanto. His siblings gave him a set of standard Uzushio shinobi clothing and weapons while his parents gave him books about fuinjutsu and ninjutsu. His family received a dinner invitation from the owner of the most expensive restaurant in Uzushio. His fifth was his greatest birthday ever.

 **The next day, Uzushiogakure Council Meeting**

"Uzukage-sama. We're almost finished conducting research and experimenting for our machineries. In two years' time, we will be producing our first battle tanks, air ships, war ships, and submarines. Also in six months our first batch of light and heavy artillery will be ready for testing." A man wearing white robes reported. He was one of Uzushio's best scientists. They were working on advanced machineries that will be of great use in the future.

"If our first batch of machines proves to be a success, we will need to ally with the Land of Metal to be able to produce more of these war machines. If we're to look for allies, the Land of Metal can be very helpful to us in trade and additional military power."

The council was glad to hear of the Research Team's progress. They also approved the idea of Uzushio allying with the Land of Metal.

"That's a great proposition. I'll begin working to get in touch with the Land of Metal's Daimyo and Kage discreetly. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, Uzukage-sama. We were also thinking of Amegakure."

"Oh yeah, hold it." The Uzukage said as she snapped her finger, calling a STORM.

"Please find Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan and tell them to proceed here immediately."

"Hai." The STORM said as he vanished in a swirl of water.

 **10 minutes later**

"Uzukage-sama. What is it?" Nagato asked as he entered the meeting room with Yahiko and Konan.

"We were talking about which countries to get to ally with us and Amegakure was mentioned." The Uzukage replied as she nodded to the council and resumed their meeting.

"As you can see, Rain Country served as a battleground during the war. The country was naturally destroyed and became a poor country. They are now being led in tyranny by a clan known to produce poison from their bodies. The leader was known as Hanzo of the Salamander, head of the Hattori Clan. He was also the person who fought the Three Legendary Sannin and was the one who gave them their titles. Ame no Kuni serves as a buffer zone for Konoha and the other elemental nations. If we can negotiate and ally with them, we will have a vantage point when the time comes and we will have a shorter route when we invade the other elemental countries."

"I can see your point. But there will be no negotiations. My sources tell me that Hanzo is a good friend of Danzo who is from Konoha. We are going to have to eliminate them before we occupy and rule Ame." Said by another council member.

"But how are we going to do that? Uzukage-sama said we cannot attack other countries yet and remain hidden." Asked by another one.

"I've seen to that matter already." Kushina said.

"What are you planning, Uzukage-sama?"

"The Akatsuki." She smiled as Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan's eyes widened in surprise.

"What?"

"Akatsuki what?"

"What do you mean?" The council asked.

Kushina nodded to her nephew and his two companions as they stepped forward.

"Akatsuki is what we call our group."Yahiko said.

"Like everyone else, it is our desire to achieve peace." Konan continued.

"In order to achieve true peace, the world must know and feel pain." Nagato finished.

"You see, the reason why I called them here is because of Amegakure. They will be our means of having Ame no Kuni added to our land expansion and military might. Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan. I will be sending you three on a long term mission. You will infiltrate Ame and pose as members of that place. You will have no trouble convincing people since Konan and Yahiko were originally from there. I believe there's a resistance in there. Find the rebels and use Akatsuki to invite them to your cause. Gather as much members and followers you can. When you are ready, overthrow the leaders and claim the country. Eliminate all loyal followers of them. We will send you four Uzushiogakure shinobi as reinforcements every two weeks once you find the rebels and convince them to join your cause. I have strong faith in you three. Prepare to leave in a week."

"Thank you for trusting us, Uzukage-sama. We will not fail you and we will make sure to fulfill our mission."

"I know you will." The Uzukage replied as the three left the room.

"Alright. Amegakure will be taken care of. Anything else?"

"Hai, two years ago, there had been an uprising in Yuki no Kuni. Yuki's former daimyo, Sosetsu Kazahana was murdered by his own brother, Doto Kazahana. Doto hired a group of mercenary shinobi and took over the place. Sosetsu's daughter, Koyuki, managed to escape along with the hexagonal crystal, which they believed was the key to Yuki no Kuni's hidden treasure. Our sources managed to unveil what treasure it was. The treasure was actually a heat generator for the whole country which will melt the snow and turn the weather into spring. Like Ame no Kuni, Yuki no Kuni is under control of a tyrant. Doto and his little group of mercenaries wear what they called chakra armor. These suits enhance their jutsus tenfold and also make them immune to jutsus. Whenever hit by a jutsu, the armor will absorb it and convert it to chakra for the wearer to use. The wearers will also never experience chakra exhaustion since the armors drastically reduce the chakra required for a jutsu. A few weeks ago, we have managed to acquire one of the armors' newest models and have it looked in our laboratories to further study about it and find its weaknesses. For now we are still looking for the princess, Koyuki. But we still have no leads." One of them reported.

"Very good. I want a team sent to Snow Country and have them find Sosetsu Kazahana's loyal followers. The team will stay there with them until we find Princess Koyuki and help her retake the country."

"Uzukage-sama. What of Sunagakure?"

"I have sent them a letter two days ago. By yesterday the Kazekage should have received it. Hopefully we'll have his answer within the next week. I've sent them the letter and the other necessary documents to further convince them to ally with us."

Uzushiogakure's council recently discovered more news regarding Konoha's treacherous plans. They found out about their plans against Sunagakure. They were planning to do almost the same thing they have done with their former ally, Uzushio, whom they betrayed and left. The plan was to ally with Suna first and gain their trust. Once the alliance is made, they will find and spill the village's military secrets and weaknesses to the other elemental countries, allowing Suna to be attacked easily. Once weakened, they will take the village's jinchuuriki, Sabaku no Gaara, and add him to Konoha's own military arsenal. They planned to do the same things they did on Naruto. Beating, torturing, and slowly brainwashing the young jinchuuriki to make them loyal to their village.

"Ugh. I can't believe Konoha's stooping so low and playing dirty." One council member remarked.

"Oh how the mighty have fallen." Another one said.

"They will reap what they sow." The Uzukage said.

"What about Takigakure?"

"I'm afraid Takigakure's being taken out from the list of possible allies."

"We have found out what they were doing to their jinchuuriki. They followed Konoha's example. Takigakure also hate their jinchuuriki. We can't ally to those who treat their own like trash. They will fall like Konoha." Kushina said coldly.

"There is also this history with one of their rogue shinobis. A man named Kakuzu was sent to assassinate Konoha's Shodaime Hokage but failed greatly. Unable to defeat the Mokuton, he returned to Taki and reported his failed mission. What happened next was completely outrageous. They punished the man. He was sent to jail and was tortured every day for three months before he was released and was tasked again to assassinate the same person whom he had been tasked to kill, Hashirama Senju. Naturally, the man was angry at his village for the treatment he received. He murdered the village elders and took their hearts. He also took the village's most prized forbidden techniques before he fled."

"Uzukage-sama, if we are not allying with Takigakure for how they treated their own shinobi, then why are we allying with Suna?"

"Aaah yes. The Yondaime Kazekage, the jinchuuriki's father, is indeed a cunt. He tried to have his own son assassinated countless times. Their council was no different. But we have a plan for that. Once the alliance between Uzushiogakure and Sunagakure is made, we will have the ones responsible for making Gaara's life miserable murdered brutally. They will be replaced by people with good hearts. Since the council and the Kazekage are the only people who hate Gaara, we will not have much problem. The villagers were actually good people but only grew afraid of the jinchuuriki because of his unstable seal. Once we fix the boy's seal, we will show Suna they can trust him and do not have to be afraid of him. I also plan on having him stay here in Uzushio to be friends with my son, Naruto. They can relate to each other having the same rough childhood and status as jinchuuriki."

"I see. That's a sound plan Uzukage-sama."

"What are we going to do with Taki's jinchuuriki?"

"I'm sending a team to find her and convince her to run away from Taki. It should be easy. Once Taki lists her as a missing nin, we will take her under our protection."

"If there's nothing else then we should adjourn this meeting. Uzukage-sama, we wish Naruto-sama a belated happy birthday. Here are our gifts." The council said as they presented their gifts for the young heir to the Uzukage. Two STORM members took the gifts and brought them to the mansion.

"Thank you. We will talk again once we receive Suna's response. Dismissed."

"Hai." The council members said as they stood up and left the room.

 **Konohagakure**

Two days have passed since the incident and instead of being able to rise up and recover from the raid, Konaha faced more problems.

The village elders Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado were found unconscious one day after the attack on the village. They were immediately rushed to the hospital in fear of them dying. The village doctors and healers found nothing wrong with them. Their chakra coils were normal, their organs showed no signs of malfunctioning. Their bodies were completely healthy. Yet they were still baffled on their patients' current condition. Teams were sent to investigate the elders' houses and they were able to find residuals of very, very, strong and potent dose of sleeping pills all over their drinks and food. The investigating teams gathered the residues to be studied in the hospital but later found out that the medicine slowly vanishes into nothingness, leaving no trace, when exposed to air. They were able to realize this when there was nothing left to study. This left them very frustrated and was forced to just wait for the elders to wake up since they found their bodies and brains perfectly healthy. They concluded they were simply put into a coma.

The whole village, on the other hand, was put into a very shitty situation. The place stank of human waste. Every single person in the village had been diagnosed with a very strong and unique kind of diarrhea. The comfort rooms were always full of the infected and had very long lines. Those who were unfortunate enough, which was many, had no choice but to release their bowels on the road, the park, or wherever place they were. The doctors, through their own experiences, were able to determine the disease. The person infected will experience the same symptoms of diarrhea. What made it different from the normal diarrhea was that the body of the person infected will automatically replenish their lost waters and will keep them from becoming dehydrated. But because of the body being forced to replenish lost waters, the infected person becomes very weak. Though infected by the disease, teams were formed to investigate the cause of the pandemic and found out that the village's water tanks were mixed with many amounts of laxatives. They had no choice but to gather water outside the village and left traces of human waste along the roads.

Because of the raid, a few mission and contract givers became hesitant to hire Konoha. This caused the village to have a lower source of income. The mission givers and contractors drastically decreased when they found out about the whole village infected with a strong and unique kind of diarrhea. Merchants and traders also avoided the village in fears of getting infected. News about the plague travelled fast. Only the Daimyo, the Daimyo's family, the people who lived near and inside the Fire Capital, and those who really needed something from Konoha kept their business with them running. Konoha's reputation went to totally fucked up from most trusted and respected.

 **Sunagakure no Sato**

The Yondaime Kazekage was surprised with the sudden increase of mission and contract requests. When he heard about Konoha, he was somewhat thankful for the slight increase of business. When the news about Konoha's plague spread, ninety percent of that village business decided to look for another village to deal business with. The populace of Suna felt very sorry for Konoha in the inside but was very happy on the outside. Finally, more missions for them. They will be more recognized. They will have more means of income. The Kazekage just finished assigning missions and was now signing papers.

"Kazekage-sama!" A Suna jonin carrying a scroll suddenly entered the office.

"Yes?"

"Here's another scroll from the unknown sender."

"Oh. Just leave it here. Thank you."

"Hai."

The Kazekage finished his stack of paper and decided to open the scroll and two folders poofed out from it. He decided to read the scroll first.

 _"Greetings, Kazekage-dono._

 _Once again we would like to offer you an alliance between our respective villages. We are sure that we will both benefit with it and we assure you that your village will benefit greatly with it. As stated in our previous letter, you will have an increase in mission requests and other businesses such as trade and other contracts. There you have it. Konoha's benefactors have decided to invest to your village instead. We must ask for your pardon if we cannot tell you who we are. Until you have agreed with the deal, we cannot reveal ourselves and our village. Although we can assure you that our intentions allying with you are true, and we have no hidden agenda behind it. We simply wish an alliance so both our villages can have more trading resources and military strength. You can attest our strengths by looking on what happened with Konoha. See how much damage we have done within only 30 minutes. Also attached in this scroll are documents regarding your treaty with Konoha and their plans for it. We have managed to recover these files during our little raid. See for yourself._

 _We hope that we could reach into a compromise and please us with your decision. We thank you in advance and wish you good fortune in your surge of incoming missions._

 _Sunagakure's friend."_

The Kazekage smirked as he put down the scroll. Now he knew who was to thank for their sudden increase in economy. He also understood the hidden threat within the message should he decide to do something funny like decline their proposal or reveal about them to Konoha. The Kazekage understood and saw how powerful their mysterious friend was. If he approves of the alliance, his country will become stronger and will have the power to oppose the four other elemental nations and other strong countries. He has already decided to agree to the alliance while he was still reading the letter. There will be no need of threats. Of course he will agree. His village has benefited a lot thanks to these mysterious people. The Kazekage then picked one of the two folders attached with the scroll and opened it. His facial expression turned to anger from curiosity as he read the folder's contents.

Inside the folder was the progress report regarding Konoha's proposed alliance to Suna. Stated there were Konoha's true plans behind the supposed alliance. They were planning on befriending his village to discover their secrets and military weaknesses and exploit those. They also planned about taking Suna's jinchuuriki and brainwashing him. They wanted to add the Shukaku to their military arsenal. Once they have gotten what they wanted, they will overthrow Sunagakure no Sato with or without the help of the other three nations.

After reading the file, he knew there was no doubt he will accept Konoha's mysterious attackers' proposal for an alliance. He's definitely going to agree to it. Consequences of the alliance be damned. He'll think about those later. He will bring down Konoha with the help of his mysterious ally.

The Kazekage then picked up the second folder. Inside it was the alliance approval between his village and their unknown friend. On top of it was a note.

 _"This is the paper that will prove our alliance. Know that this paper is infused with blood seals and truth seals. Everything written here is true. Everything proposed about the agreement once signed will be done. There will be no backstabbing, pulling back, or cancellation of the alliance. Failure to comply with the agreement will cause death of the one who signed it, his successor, his successor's successor, and so on. The contract will expire in fifteen years. The choice is yours if wish to renew it. In which we are sure you will since your country will benefit greatly with it."_

The Sand Leader was impressed with the paper. He didn't know such a kind of seal existed. He continued reading the contract.

 _"Both countries will benefit with each other. There will be a trade system between both villages. Items that are usually found in the country's vicinity that cannot be found within their allied country's areas will be shared equally or traded and vice versa. There will be sharing of knowledge about enemies, threats, and future threats. The will be also a sharing of training and teaching methods in the academy to help both villages produce strong shinobi in the future. Lastly, there will be a sharing of each country's jutsus. These jutsus will be taught in the village's respective academies. More importantly, there will be a military alliance. Should one of the village calls for assistance in a time of war or natural calamities or other problems, the allied village will respond and prove any assistance they can."_

 _"Kazegake-dono, there is a personal favor I want to ask you and I'll make it an addition to this agreement. You see, my son is also a jinchuuriki who happens to be with the same age as your son, Gaara. I would like your approval to send him and his siblings to our village and let them stay for at least five years. My son has few friends around his age and I wish him to grow up and become used to people near his age. Also I'd like both children spend time around with each other since they are both jinchuuriki. This is my personal request. I hope we can have an agreement on this."_

 _"Please cut your wrist and let a small amount of blood touch on the paper. Use your own blood to sign if you approve of our agreement and alliance."_

 _"Sunagakure's Ally"_

The Kazekage was bit surprised with the request. He didn't expect the mysterious village to have their own jinchuuriki. He was shocked by that revelation. He wondered which tail they had.

 _"I'll find out soon. I see nothing wrong about the personal favor. If this is what it takes to get back to Konoha, sending my children to their village is a small price to pay and I'm sure they will help my children train to grow stronger. Yes, I'll definitely approve of this. Konoha, you better pray to whatever gods starting from now, for now Sunagakure have a stronger ally."_ The Suna's Leader thought as he cut his wrist with a kunai and let a few droplets hit the paper. He then took a pen and signed the contract with his blood.

The moment he was finished signing, the paper glowed and a new folder appeared along with a ring with a small sapphire on top of it with a swirl design. There was also a note on top of the folder.

 _"Kazekage-dono,_

 _We knew we could trust in Sunagakure. Thank you for agreeing to make an alliance with us and hope you will not let us down in the future. We chose to ally with Suna since it was the only village who haven't done anything against Uzushiogakure. This folder explains everything that has transpired four years ago up to the day Konoha was raided. We hope that all of your questions will be answered by this folder. If not, then simply concentrate your chakra on this ring. We strongly advise you to wear at all times starting from the moment our alliance has been approved by you. Don't worry, there's nothing fancy on that ring. You won't die or feel any negative effects by wearing it. We simply do not want other people finding this ring, do we? Of course not. This ring is a symbol of our alliance and also a communication device. It has been applied with seals so all you have to do is flare your chakra on it and call on my name should you wish to speak or arrange a meeting with us. Once again, the whole of Uzushiogakure appreciates your treaty with us._

 _Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze_

 _Shodaime Uzukage no Atarashii Uzushiogakure no Sato_

How many times have I said this? The Kazekage was shocked with the revelation.

 _"Uzushiogakure?! Uzushiogakure still exists? Uzumakis? Kushina Uzumaki?! They're alive? She's alive? They were the ones who attacked Konoha? But why? How are they-? Oh Kami, now my head hurts."_

The Suna Leader thought as he massaged his head. He then shouted and called for his ANBU. Four of them appeared in front of him kneeling.

"ANBU! I want the village locked down immediately. I want all possible entries to the village secured. Nobody is to get inside or go outside. Also have this room surrounded by four squads of the top ANBU. Secure this room and make sure nobody enters."

"Hai!"

The Kazekage stood up and quickly went into a series of hand seals. He applied the room with the strongest privacy seals he knew. Nobody from the outside will see, hear, or feel anything. He went back to his seat and began reading the contents of the folder. It took him almost two hours since he had to read the contents of the folder three times, as if memorizing it. All questions that had been lingering on his head were answered thanks to the information he read from the folder. He put down the files and took deep calming breaths. After about ten minutes, he flared his chakra on the ring that he was now wearing.

 **Uzushiogakure, Uzukage's Office**

The Uzukage was signing off papers as she felt a new chakra signature. She smiled and muttered, "Well, that was unexpectedly fast."

The Uzumaki leader snapped her fingers and two masked figures who were kneeling appeared.

"Please find my husband and my brother and tell them to come over here immediately."

"Hai!"

 **Chapter Three End**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **1.** I do not have names yet for the other council members so I can only refer to them as "council member" or "clan head" for now. If you guys have any suggestions, please feel free to message me or comment in the reviews section. [I already have Hagaromo Clan (In my story, the Uzumaki are direct descendants of the Hagaromo Clan. Will be explained in the future chapters) and the Kaguya Clan (In this story there are 20 remaining members. Orochimaru and Kimimaro doesn't know about them yet. So if you'll add Kimimaro there will be 21) **Note: When I say suggestions, I need a new clan created by your imaginative minds. I need their clan name and their abilities. Since I'm not taking existing clans from the five elemental countries**.]

2\. Thank you for all your support. See you guys next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4: Jinchuuriki

**Tobi: Yay! Chapter 4 is here!**

 **JRL: Deidera. Tobi did it the last time. It's your turn.**

 **Deidera: JRL doesn't own Naruto. Hmmm.**

 **Chapter Four: The Tailed Beasts and Their Jinchuuriki**

"Is there a problem?" Minato asked as he and entered the room and hugged his wife.

"Nothing. In fact, it is the opposite. Something good has happened."

"What is it Imouto?" Kaede asked as he also entered the room.

"The Kazekage has approved of our proposed alliance with them. We are now allies with Sunagakure. He's also requested for an audience with us. We're going there now."

"I see. That was fast." Minato commented.

"Indeed." Kaede agreed.

"We gave them everything that will convince them to ally with us. But yes, I didn't expect their answer this week." The Uzukage said as she made three kage bunshins.

"I'll leave you three here. One of you do the paperwork. One of you go and check on Naru-chan. One of you will call a council meeting and inform them of the good news."

"You can trust us on that dattebane."

Kushina nodded at the three clones. She looked at her husband and her brother and nodded to the both of them.

"Let's go." The three vanished in a yellow flash as Minato did his Hiraishin.

 **Back to Sunagakure**

The Kazekage was still in his office and was anxiously pacing the floor. It had been almost fifteen minutes since he flared his chakra on the ring. He stopped and went to drink a glass of water and then went back to his pacing. Suddenly there was a familiar flash of yellow.

"Greetings, Kazekage-dono"

The Kazekage stopped in his tracks and now stood facing his three newly arrived guests. His eyes widened as his gaze landed on the woman who greeted him. Next he stared at the other person with her and noticed that they looked alike. Lastly, his gaze went to the other person standing beside the woman. He almost had a heart attack as he gaped at the man with yellow hair, blue eyes, and was wearing a long white coat with flames designed on the bottom of it. He looked like he had seen someone risen from the dead. In which of course he has.

"Ku-kushina Uzu-Uzumaki… M-m-minatooh…" The Suna Leader stuttered as he unconsciously took a step backwards. Luckily he fell on his chair as he was still gawking at the two.

"Y-you… You…" The Kazekage was normally the silent type of person. But this was the first time he had been dumbfounded speechless.

His three guests were trying their best not to laugh despite the funny looks the Kazekage was giving them. Thankfully they were able to keep their impassive looks as it would most likely offend the Suna Leader if they laughed at him.

The man slowly recovered himself as he took another glass of water to calm his nerves.

"I-I can't believe it." He whispered to himself but enough for his guests to hear.

He cleared his throat and politely asked his guests to take a seat.

"Kazekage-dono, how are you feeling now?" Kushina asked as she was a bit concerned with the man. The Yondaime Kazekage cannot die yet. They still have plans for him. It would totally suck if he died because of his heart failing.

"I think I'm better now, thank you Uzukage-dono. Let's just say I wasn't that prepared enough to see you. Especially the Yondaime Hokage since everyone knew he died four years ago. I've read the files about what has transpired four years ago and to be honest, I had my doubts everything written there was true."

"We understand Kazekage-dono. It will be really hard for people to believe about our existence. But here we are."

"I apologize for having doubts on you, my allies. I assure you I will not doubt the power of the Uzumakis ever again." The Yondaime Kazekage said as he bowed.

"It is alright, Kazekage-dono. We didn't take any offense."

The man nodded as he took another glass of water and offered three more glasses to his guests. His nerves finally calmed down as he cleared his throat and went to business.

"I thank you for coming in short notice. As the leader of this village, I formally welcome you to Sunagakure. I asked for you here since I wanted to meet and greet you personally.

"Kazekage-dono, I thank you for inviting us here. More importantly, Uzushiogakure thanks you for agreeing to our proposed alliance. We hope that our villages will become strong in partnership and friendship. Our alliance will definitely help us in a lot of aspects. Also, I would like to introduce you to my elder brother, Kaede. He is the head of our STORM and was also the leader of the Lost Maelstrom Search and Rescue Mission."

"Pleased to meet you acquaintaince, Kaede-san." The Kazekage said as he bowed to the man.

"Uzukage-dono, you are welcome here since we are allies now. Sunagakure also thanks you for the surge of missions we are having. Earlier before I found about the truth about Uzushiogakure, I was just finished signing off papers and assigning missions to my shinobi. They were to leave in three hours' time, but then now I realized missions had to be delayed. When I saw the documents after I signed the contract, I immediately ordered my ANBU to put the village on a lockdown. When I finished reading, I thought of introducing you to the village as Suna's new allies since I already had the village put up on a lockdown and nobody is getting in or out of the village. My shinobi who were out thankfully just made it in time and all shinobi and civilians of Sunagakure is inside this village. We have no outsiders or visitors at the moment except the unwanted guests. I'd be glad if you could grant my request, as it will be also easier to explain to the villagers. If not, then it is fine, I'll understand if you wish to keep your village's existence hidden. After all, every village has enemy spies lurking around inside it, blending in with the populace."

"I'm glad you'd thought ahead of it. I was actually about to ask you if we could introduce ourselves to the populace of Suna as their new ally. If you were feeling troubled about the spies planted in here, we can take care of it. It will be easier since the village is already on a lockdown."

The Kazekage perked up upon hearing this.

"How do you plan on doing that without alerting them?"

"Simple. We'll execute them all at the same time. The Uzumaki has its own ways dealing with unwanted guests. That is why we were able to stay hidden from the world for five years now without any trouble at all. I would like to ask your permission to get rid of all the unwanted guests here. I'm asking for your permission because the process will be very bloody."

"If it is for the good of my village, of course I will have no problems with it. What do you need?"

"More blood, actually. What we are about to do is a Kinjutsu as it requires a lot of blood. The seal we applied on the contract was also a Kinjutsu. Which is why I asked for your permission. You're going to have to spill a large amount of blood on the floor. You do not have to worry about suffering blood loss. We have taken precautions for that as we have brought blood pills. We were actually planning on eliminating all spies here when we answered your call. If you were wondering why it had to be your blood, it is because you are the leader of this village. When Uzushiogakure dealed with the traitors, my father also did the ritual as he was the Uzukage that time. Now, you do not have to worry about your blood spilling and going on all directions. With the jutsu ongoing, it should stay in one place. You'll see and understand once we do it."

"I see. I do not have any problems with it. I trust highly on your skills. Well, then. Let us get started."

The Uzukage thanked him for the praise. She then nodded and her two companions went to their positions. The Kazekage was in the middle being surrounded by the three in a triangular formation.

"Kazekage-dono, when you see a triangular seal form, wait for a blood katana to appear, then take it and use it to stab yourself on the heart. When the seal glows blue, use the katana and draw the kanji for "barrier" on your four directions. North, east, south, and west. When you are done, stab the chi bunshin on the heart that will later appear using the katana. Wait for all the blood to dissipate and then finally stab the spot where the blood clone once stood with the katana."

"That's fucking brutal." The Kazekage chuckled, commenting on the complicated process of the jutsu. He then nodded signaling them he was ready.

The three people surrounding him nodded and went into a series of hand seals before calling on the name of the jutsu.

 **"Uzumaki Secret – Blood Seal: Cleansing and Protection of the Populace"**

The air in the room became heavy as a circle appeared on each of them and started to connect with each other. Soon there was a yellow glow as the triangle formed. The color slowly changed color until it stopped on blood red. A triangular barrier then appeared by the seal trapping the four people inside. Soon a blood katana appeared in front of the Kazekage. He then took it and stabbed himself on the heart with it. He was surprised when he did not feel any pain. He only felt a pulling sensation from the katana. The katana sucked the blood out from the man and the blood stayed on the tip of the handle. A few minutes later the blood started to take on a form. It took about ten minutes before the blood clone fully materialized. It looked exactly like the Kazekage. The seal started to change its color once again and slowly turned into blue. He unstabbed himself and began drawing the kanji for "barrier" on his four directions. When he was done, he raised the katana and stabbed the chi bunshin. The chi bunshin screamed and then exploded splattering all directions with blood. The blood that splattered slowly dissipated into smoke. Soon the area was once again clean. The Kazekage then stabbed the floor using the katana. The seal started to glow brighter and changed into color green. Soon the glowing slowly stopped. The seal vanished as the lines making the triangle unconnected until there were only circles surrounding them. Soon the circles also vanished and they felt the air go back to normal. The process took almost half an hour. The Kazekage felt lightheaded.

The Uzukage approached the Suna Leader and slapped her hands on the man's chest.

 **"Fuin: Healing"**

The Kazekage then felt better thanks to the seal. Kaede handed him three pills and a glass of water. He gratefully accepted it and took the pills. He felt more dizzy a minute after taking the blood pills.

"Kazekage-dono, please sit down for now. You'll feel very dizzy for a few minutes because of the blood pills regenerating your lost blood."

He followed her advice and went for his seat. His three guests also took theirs as they waited for him to feel better. After about ten minutes, he nodded to them signaling them he was alright.

 **"KAI!"** Kushina, Minato, and Kaede shouted. Moments later screams of agony were heard throughout the village. All unwanted guests inside Sunagakure felt like their hearts had been stabbed and let out piercing screams as their bodies exploded into blood and gore. The people that were around watched in horror as the streets were splattered with blood and flesh remains. Soon it slowly dissipated in smoke.

"Aaaah, finally. That was tiring." The Yellow Flash commented.

"Indeed." The Kazekage agreed.

"Kazekage-dono, you should release the seals now and call everyone for a meeting. We'll go back to Uzushiogakure and let you explain things to your villagers. When you and your people are ready, flare your chakra on the ring and we'll arrive shortly. Now you will not have to worry about unwanted ears hearing what you'll tell your people. Also no more unwanted guests will be able to enter the village because of the barrier seal. They will die on the spot. You will be able to collect their bodies for your use or whatever you wish to do with them. There will be no traitors from the inside because as soon as someone decides to betray the village, they will face the same fate the spies have met."

"Oh, before I forget, here are the scrolls." The Uzukage said as she handed the Kazekage a scroll. He then opened it there was a huge smoke.

"Wait! Don't-!" The woman tried to warn him. But she was a bit too late.

The Kazekage widened his eyes as hundreds of scrolls came pouring out from the scroll he just opened.

"What are these?"

"That, Kazekage-dono, are the memories of all those who died earlier from the ritual. It would seem that this village had hundreds of unwanted guests. I'm sure they will be very useful. I also have copies of them so we could find out where they came from and what they know. Since we are allies now, you do not have to worry about us gaining knowledge from them. Good luck sorting them out. Each person have the number of scrolls depending on their age. Say for example a spy is fifty years old, there will be fifty scrolls for that person. Each scroll has their name and age. Sorting them out will not be that hard." The Uzukage said as she tried to stifle her laugh.

"Aaaargh. This is too troublesome." The man grumbled.

"Well, she did warn you." Minato said as he too was trying not to laugh.

"But she was too late."

"Heh. Don't worry, I'll leave you some clones to help you sort them out." Kushina said as she made twelve shadow clones.

"We'll take our leave, Kazekage-dono. We'll see you again later."

"Okay, thank you."

The Kazekage shook hands with the three of them as he thanked them. Moments later they were back to Uzushiogakure in a flash of yellow lightning.

"Aaaah, let's get these sorted out." He told the clones as he grabbed a scroll.

 **One and a Half Hour Later**

"Finally. That's taken care of. Thank you for your help. I'll flare my chakra on this ring when I have finished explaining things to my countrymen."

"Will do. We will let the boss know." The clones said as they dispelled themselves and the memories were transferred to the original.

The Kazekage then went to remove the privacy seals he placed on the room earlier. He only have less than an hour to explain before the supposed departure of the teams for the mission.

 _"I guess the missions will have to be delayed for two hours."_ He thought as he finished removing the seals and opened the door of his office. Immediately an ANBU Captain came in front of him kneeling.

"Sir! There had been multiple deaths across the village while you were inside. Their deaths were gruesome. They suddenly screamed and their bodies exploded. Thankfully you have ordered us earlier for a lockdown and we are still trying to find the ones who did the brutal killings."

"Cancel the search. Do not worry about them. I am aware of the killings earlier."

"Sir…?"

"Also, Councilor and Captain Yura is one of those who had been murdered, sir."

"Yura? Now that's news to me. I should have known he was a traitor. He was acting rather odd. Oh well, he's been taken care of." The Kazekage simply shrugged.

"Sir?" The ANBU was totally confused about their leader. He didn't make sense.

"Do not worry about it. Now, I want you to alert all the villagers. Shinobi and civilians alike. I want everyone gathered outside the Kazekage Mansion in thirty minutes. I have something of importance to announce. All missions that have been assigned will have to be delayed for about two hours."

"Hai."

 **30 Mins Later**

There was a lot of murmuring from the crowd. Many were still shaken from what they have witnessed earlier. The sudden deaths really scared them. A lot of them were worried that they were the next village being targeted by the same unknown people who attacked Konoha. Finally their questions will be answered as they saw the Yondaime Kazekage on the balcony. His children also looked confused as they too have no clues on what was happening. They stopped their murmurings when their leader raised his hand.

"People of Sunagakure. First of all, I assure you that you have nothing to worry about. The sudden deaths of about a hundred people earlier were not the doings of the enemy. Their deaths were for the good of the village. I know many of you were probably close friends or acquainted with some of them. But you had no idea they were spies. Yes, those who died earlier were spies. I, with the help of three other people, did a ritual that got rid this village of unwanted guests and also placed a barrier seal that will immediately kill future spies that will be sent in here."

Many of them were shocked by the revelation. Some of those who knew the people who died were saddened as they now discovered they were spies. They felt like they have been cheated by them. Some were angry for their betrayal of their trust and were now satisfied by their deaths. The Kazekage continued.

"Now, what I'm about to tell you next must be kept a secret and are for only the people of Suna. Are we clear?"

"Hai." The crowd replied even though many were confused.

"You all know about Konoha making negotiations with us for an alliance, right?"

Many of the shinobi nodded as well as some of the civilians.

"Now, I'm going to tell you that I'm putting up the ongoing negotiations to an end. We are not allying with Konoha. Why you ask? One of the three people with me earlier informed me about Konoha's planned treachery against us once we approve of the alliance with them. Konoha planned on spilling our secrets to the other nations thus making our country an easy target. We were about to follow what has happened with Uzushiogakure. Yes, you all know Konoha and Uzushio were once allies but the latter was destroyed. I have the documents that will prove they were betrayed by Konoha. I was shown the documents of the report during Uzushiogakure's supposed downfall. The Leaf conspired with Iwa, Kumo, and Kiri and tried to eliminate the Uzumaki Clan. They also kidnapped Kushina Uzumaki's infant child and made the two day old baby the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko the night it attacked Konoha. The Leaf will do the same to Suna if we approved of the alliance. They will take our jinchuuriki and make him their own."

Gaara looked horrified when he heard his father. Temari and Kankuro looked concerned for their little brother. They went back to listening to their father as he continued to speak.

"With that revelation, I am going to state Konoha as a neutral county for now. In the coming years I will finally add it to the enemy list. Now, all dealings with Konoha will be ended. There will be no more trade or other friendly terms with them. If you see someone from that village, be it a shinobi or a civilian, ignore them. I am going to be strict with this, do not make any contact with them."

"Now I know many of you are disappointed because the alliance with the strongest village is now void. But you do not have to worry. For we are now allied with a stronger village. About a week ago, I received a letter from an unknown sender. The letter told me that Sunagakure will have a surge of missions in a few days. A few days later, Konoha was attacked by still unidentified people. Today I received a second letter from the same unknown sender. They revealed themselves to be the ones responsible attacking the Leaf. They also offered an alliance with us. They were the ones who presented me the documents about Konoha's planned betrayal against us and their betrayal to Uzushio."

"What we are going to tell you next will be a Class SS Secret and only the people of Suna are supposed to know. Anyone spilling it to outsiders will immediately face death. Am I clear?" The Kazekage asked. He stared at the crowd seriously sending amounts of killing intent.

"UNDERSTOOD?"

"HAI!"

"Good. My brethren, please meet our new allies… Meet the Leader of Uzushiogakure!" He declared while sending a flare on his ring. No less than three seconds later there was a flash of yellow. The crowd had their jaws dropped on the floor as they stared at the people who they believed were now dead. They almost shit themselves as they watched Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze smiling and waving at them."

For the next hour, the Uzukage, the Yondaime Hokage, and with the help of the Yondaime Kazekage, the truth about Uzushiogakure were revealed and explained to the populace of Suna. The alliance between both villages were also explained. Gaara felt happy when he heard about the Uzukage personally requesting him to be brought to her village and let him stay there for at least five years. His siblings Temari and Kankuro also felt happy for their little brother. They will not have to worry about assassins being sent after Gaara. Sunagakure thanked their new allies for the huge favor they have done for their village. They revealed about Konoha and also got a surge of missions. They will also now look forward to their village becoming stronger in the next years.

"Uzukage-dono, once again Sunagakure thanks you for everything you have done. I will talk with my children about sending them to your country. Please expect my call in a week."

"I also thank you Kazekage-dono. Having sent your children to us will be very good for my son, Naruto."

They shook hands and then parted. Minato was still receiving funny looks from most of the crowd. He chuckled to himself as he grabbed his wife by the hips and Hiraishined back to Uzushio.

 **Uzushiogakure**

Naruto was in his room reading. He has already finished reading "From Man to Shinobi: The Birth of Ninshu", "Hagaromo Otsutsuki – Rikudo Sennin", "The Great Shinobi War", and was just about to finish reading "The Second Shinobi War".

He learned a about the Founder of Ninshu, and Hagaromo's Family. Everything started when a female warrior stole a fruit from the God Tree which later became enraged and started killing off people to reclaim its stolen power. This era was referred to as "War of the Gods" where the Rikudo Sennin battled the Juubi with his rinnegan, and managed to defeat it. Hagaromo then divided the power of the Juubi into nine. There the tailed beasts were born ranging from one to nine tails. According to "The Great Shinobi War", the tailed beasts were captured and was used as a means by the Shodaime Hokage for peace negotiations. He was able to capture them using his Mokuton Abilities and distributed it to the other nations to balance the power. The nine tails however was the only one the Hokage wasn't able to capture as he cannot find it. Time passed by and the beasts did not like being controlled so they rampaged. The leaders of the respective villages decided to seal them into human beings. The people who held a tailed beast inside them were referred to as jinchuuriki. During the Second Shinobi War, a kunoichi named Mito Uzumaki who was also the First Uzukage, was able to capture and seal the Kyuubi inside her one night it attacked her village. Later it was found that the Kyuubi had been controlled by the rogue second founder of Konoha, Madara Uchiha, by using his sharingan and set it to attack Uzushiogakure. After the incident, the Shodaime Hokage proposed an alliance to Uzushio by marriage, to which the Uzukage agreed. The two countries then became allies as the Shodaime Hokage and the Shodaime Uzukage got married. Later on because of her old age, Mito transferred the Kyuubi to her great granddaughter, Kushina Uzumaki.

Naruto suddenly snapped his book shut and grabbed a pen and paper and wrote, "Rinnegan, Uzumaki Clan, and Jinchuuriki". He brought a pen and notebook with him as he left his room and dashed off to the library. He went to the front desk and presented the paper to ask for assistance. A librarian led him into a private table and told him to wait as she went to find the books related to the three topics he wrote down on the paper. A few minutes later the librarian returned and handed him a basket of books.

 _"Wow. There's too many. I guess I will be here for a while."_ Naruto thought as he took a book and began scanning it. He looked for something important and began jotting down notes on his notebook.

 _"The Rinnegan, or the Samsara Eye, is the Dojutsu of the Sage of the Six Paths, who was also known as Hagaromo Otsutsuki. The Rinnegan was first wielded by Hagaromo. He was known as the Rikudo Sennin because the Rinnegan have six realms and an outer realm."_

 _"The Animal Realm, or Chikushodo, grants the Rinnegan user the ability to summon various animals and creatures to aid him in battle. The summons are immortal and can be summoned again once it has been defeated or killed in battle. Summoning creatures do not require hand signs or seals. The Animal Path also grants the user the ability to summon people using hand signs or seals."_

 _"The Asura Path, Demon Realm, or Shurado, grants the user the ability to summon or create various weapons and armors. The weapons made by the Asura Path are very strong. It can easily cut through normally crafted weapons. The user can also make his skin his own armor by hardening it."_

 _"The Deva Path, God Realm, or Tendo, grants the user the ability to manipulate force and gravity. Using Tendo's skills have a minimum of five second interval, depending on the strength of the jutsu used. Only Hagaromo Otsutsuki have been known who can use the Deva Path without the five second interval penalty."_

 _"The Human Realm, or Ningendo, grants the user the ability to read the mind of any target. The user can also extract the soul of the target and gain all of its memories but with the cost of the target's life."_

 _"The Naraka Path, Hell Realm, or Jigokudo, grants the user two main abilities. One is interrogation while the other is restoration. The user can summon the King of Hell to interrogate targets. If the target lies during interrogation, it will be consumed by the Demon Head. If the target then tells the truth, it will be spared. The user can restore any living beings back to its normal state. For example, if a person loses a limb, the user will have that person eaten by the Demon Head and after a few seconds, will be released with the lost limb back."_

 _"The Petra Path, Hungry Ghost Realm, or Gakido, grants the user to absorb any ninjutsu-based technique. The Petra Path can also absorb a target's chakra through physical contact."_

 _"Last is the Outer Path, or Gedo. The Rinnegan user is granted the ability to revive the dead. Reviving the dead requires a huge amount of chakra. If the chakra is not enough, then a percentage of the user's life force will be consumed instead."_

Naruto finished the book and took another one.

 _"People who have the Rinnegan are believed to be very powerful beings and will bring peace to the world."_

 _"Only Hagaromo Otsutsuki have been able to unlock the final from of the Rinnegan. Having unlocked its true form means the Prophecy for the fate of the world has started that is related to the Juubi."_

 _"The Rinnegan passed down to his descendants look purple with ring patterns on it, while the Final Form has six tomoes added with the eye."_

 _"The prophecy is believed that when the Final Form is once again born into the world, the Juubi will be reborn as well and must be stopped. It is also possible that the Juubi will be reborn first and will be followed by the Rinnegan's True and Final Form. During the War of the Gods, Hagaromo had already unlocked his Rinnegan's Final Form when the Juubi came to Earth and started rampaging."_

Naruto noticed the book was rather short. He felt that there should be more information about the Juubi and the Rinnegan's Final Form. He decided that maybe he could find more information from other books. Next he took a book that looked so ancient and was bloodied. He opened it and saw the pages were blank. He then checked on the first page and noticed writings on it.

 _"Reader,_

 _If you are able to read the writings on this page, then that means you are my descendant. You are about to read and learn the secrets of the Uzumaki Clan. In order to be able to read the contents of this book, you are required to perform a Blood Contracting Seal. Follow the hand seals required and use the kunai that will appear. Wound yourself and let your blood stain the cover of the book. Three droplets will do. Next, sign the second page with your name using your blood. Writing your name on this book means that you agree to keep every information that you will learn from this from people outside the Uzumaki Clan._

 _This book has seals that updates itself of the current events about the Uzumaki Clan. Meaning that even it is past my timeline, the important events will continue up to the current date will be automatically written._

 _Another seal applied on this book will produce a copy for the one who signed it._

 _Receive this gift, for you are an Uzumaki and deserve to know about our clan. Become stronger, descendant. Show the world the power of our clan._

 _Mito Uzumaki,_

 _Shodaime Uzukage and founder of Uzushiogakure"_

Naruto felt excited and checked his surroundings to see if nobody was watching him. He then followed the hand signs that were written on the book.

 **"Uzumaki Secret – Blood Seal: Discerning of the Ancient Secrets!"**

Naruto shouted as he slammed his hand on the book. Soon a kunai appeared and he went to make a gash on his palm. He let three droplets of blood splatter on the book's cover. Next he went to the second page and noticed a lot of names.

He recognized some of the names who have signed it. Kaede Uzumaki, Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze, Nagato Uzumaki, Narumi Uzumaki-Namikaze, Minako Uzumaki-Namikaze, Miho Uzumaki-Namikaze, and lastly, Mio Uzumaki-Namikaze.

He then signed his name under the last Uzumaki's signature whose first name was Karin. Soon the book glowed and a few seconds later a copy of it materialized beside it. Naruto checked the copy and read.

 _"This book is the property of Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto."_

Naruto then closed the book and decided to read it back inside his bedroom later. He then set the original aside and grabbed another book. The next book was about the Tailed Beasts and the Jinchuuriki. The book was only published two years ago. He scanned and wrote down the important information on his notebook.

 _"Jinchuuriki, or Human Sacrifices, are the vessels of the Tailed Beasts. They are often despised by their villages because of their power and in fear of them releasing the beast sealed inside them. Jinchuurikis normally leave an awful life and most of them lived their lives in seclusion."_

 _"Bijus, or Tailed Beasts, are very huge amount of demonic chakra. There are nine tailed beasts known in existence counting from one to nine tails. Villages usually seal them inside humans to keep them from rampaging around or to simply make use of their power for military purposes."_

 _"The One Tail, or the Ichibi, is a raccoon and has the power to create magnetic forces, control and manipulate sand. The Ichibi having the least tail of all beasts, is considered the weakest. It has been in possession of Sunagakure and had been sealed into many different people but there had been always a problem. The jinchuuriki of the Shukaku are usually insane because of a priest who tried to seal it inside him before."_

 _"The Two Tails, or the Niibi is cat and has the power to produce blue flames. It has been known to be in possession of Kumogakure. Kumogakure's the only village known to have treated their jinchuuriki in good ways unlike the other villages as their jinchuuriki have been always a relative of the Raikage."_

 _"The Three Tails, or the Sanbi is a turtle and has the power to create corals and can swim at high speeds underwater. Known to be in possession of Kirigakure."_

 _"The Four Tails, or the Yonbi is a gorilla and has the power of to produce lava by combining fire and earth elements. It has been last sealed inside a shinobi named Roshi, a former Iwagakure-nin who now leaves in isolation."_

 _"The Five Tails, or the Gobi, has the head of a dolphin and the body of a horse. It has the ability to use steam by combining the nature elements fire and water. It has been last sealed inside Han, also a former Iwa-nin, and has followed his fellow jinchuuriki, Roshi's life who lived away from the village. "_

 _"The Six Tails, or the Rokubi, is a slug that can release amounts of toxic acids. It used to be in possession of Kirigakure but its jinchuuriki have been declared a missing-nin."_

 _"The Seven Tails, or the Nanabi, is a horned beetle that can produce silk or cocoon that are chakra threads. Using its wings, it can also emit blinding powder, and naturally has the ability to fly. It has been in possession of Takigakure, the only village that wasn't one of the Five Great Nations who possessed a Tailed Beast."_

 _"The Eight Tails, or the Hachibi, has the head of a bull and the body of an octopus. It can produce ink and also use its head to ram targets when charging. It has been in possession of Kumogakure and has been sealed into six hosts. Its host at the moment, Killer Bee, the Raikage's Brother, is the only known jinchuuriki who have full control of his Tailed Beast. Killer Bee is also known as the Perfect Jinchuuriki. He is believed to have befriended the beast sealed inside him and can assume the Hachibi's Tailed Beast Form without losing consciousness."_

 _"The Nine Tails, or the Kyuubi, is the strongest of all Tailed Beasts as it has the most number of tails. It has the power to detect negative emotions and regenerate quickly. Also it is has the ability to use and produce Fox Fire, one of the strongest kind of fire that can even overpower the Mangekyo Sharingan's Amaterasu. Konoha is known to have the Kyuubi in possession."_

 _"Jinchuuriki also acquires the same power of the beast that is sealed inside them. They also gain the huge amounts of chakra that the Tailed Beast have."_

Naruto finished his notes and decided to look on the other books to find out more about the Juubi and the Rinnegan. Finding no more important information, he decided to call a librarian and told her he was finished reading.

"Do you have any more books about the Juubi and the Rinnegan's Final Form?" He asked, making the librarian assistant widen her eyes.

"I am not sure, Naruto-sama. Those books I presented to you were the only ones I know of that were related to those topics. But I'll look for other books for you. Although I should tell you not to expect."

"Okay, thank you miss. I guess I'll return here tomorrow and see if you find anything. Also, can I take this home with me?" Naruto asked, presenting her a book about Konoha and the Kyuubi.

"Of course, Naruto-sama. Just sign here and be sure to return it in three days."

Naruto signed on the Book Borrower's List and was given a seal.

"This seal will glow when your three day time limit have been consumed and will remind you to return it here."

"Thank you. I'll be sure to return it."

The woman nodded as the young heir walked off back to the mansion.

Naruto was back inside his room and immediately read the book about Konoha and the Kyuubi.

 _"The Kyuubi's second and former Jinchuuriki was Kushina Uzumaki. A kunoichi from Uzushiogakure that is now destroyed. The Kyuubi managed to escape during its host's giving birth. Jinchuurikis' seals were known to become weakened whenever the host is pregnant and is weakest when giving birth. Someone unknown managed to enter Kushina Uzumaki's secret labor room that day and tried to interfere, therefore unleashing the Kyuubi out the woman. The unknown assailant immediately left when he realized that the demon had gotten away."_

 _"Sixteen years after, the Kyuubi made its reappearance to Konoha by attacking it. After destroying a percentage of the village and killing many, Konoha managed to reseal it inside a human being. It was the Yondaime Hokage who did the sealing. Using the Shiki Fujin, or the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, he sealed the demon inside a newborn child. The process cost the Yondaime's life and the Sandaime was forced to resume his position as Hokage."_

Naruto immediately stopped reading and felt his heart beating fast. He was also shaking as memories came back to him.

 _"Die! Demon!"_

 _"You killed our Yondaime Hokage!"_

 _"Jinchuuriki, or Human Sacrifices, are the vessels of the Tailed Beasts. They are often despised by their villages because of their power and in fear of them releasing the beast sealed inside them. Jinchuurikis normally leave an awful life and most of them lived their lives in seclusion."_

 _"Naruto-kun. Forgive me as well, it was my fault. I was the one who sealed-"_

 _"…he sealed the demon inside a newborn child. The process cost the Yondaime's life…"_

The boy was now crying as realization hit him. Now he knew why Konoha hated him. The boy cried even more as past events back in Konoha returned to his mind and started to haunt him. He remembered every beating and torture he endured during his prison in that village. For the first time, he felt sadness. For the first time, he felt anger. For the first time, he wanted to hurt someone so badly. He wanted his revenge on those who did bad things to him. His blood began to boil as bad memories continued to haunt him. He began losing the capability of thinking rationally as his mind became clouded and he felt hell-bent on killing a lot of people. The only thing that his mind was telling him was to kill.

 **Uzukage's Office**

The Uzukage was talking to the council and was briefing them of the events earlier. She was just telling them about Sunagakure's approval to send the Kazekage's children to Uzushio when she felt a huge chakra spike.

Everyone's eyes in the room widened as they recognized the chakra. The chakra was pure evil and huge waves of it were being sent and radiated throughout the village.

Kushina and Minato immediately realized what was happening.

"Is that…? Murmured by one of the council members.

"Naruto-kun!" The parents shouted as they felt an even bigger demonic blast of chakra wave.

 **"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!"**

 **Chapter End**

 **Tobi: WAAAAAAAAAAAAA! SCARY!**

 **Deidara: That's fucking evil, hmmm. Leaving us hanging like that.**

 **JRL: Sorry for the cliff hanger guys. I promise to update soon. It just felt so right ending it there. See you guys next chapter!**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **1.** I do not have names yet for the other council members so I can only refer to them as "council member" or "clan head" for now. If you guys have any suggestions, please feel free to message me or comment in the reviews section. [I already have Hagaromo Clan (In my story, the Uzumaki are direct descendants of the Hagaromo Clan. Will be explained in the future chapters) and the Kaguya Clan (In this story there are 20 remaining members. Orochimaru and Kimimaro doesn't know about them yet. So if you'll add Kimimaro there will be 21) **Note: When I say suggestions, I need a new clan created by your imaginative minds. I need their clan name and their abilities. Since I'm not taking existing clans from the five elemental countries**.]

 **2\. Someone's going to make an appearance next chapter! Can you guess who?**

 **Tobi: Tobi! Tobi! Tobi can guess! Because Tobi is a good boy! Tobi is making an appearance!**

 **Deidara: Shut it Tobi. I'm definitely going to make an appearance. I will show the readers true art!**

 **JRL: Quit it you two. Let the readers guess. Muwahahahaha!**

 **Tobi: JRL-senpai is so evil...**

 **Omake**

The Kazekage was still in his office and was anxiously pacing the floor. It had been almost fifteen minutes since he flared his chakra on the ring. He stopped and went to drink a glass of water and then went back to his pacing. Suddenly there was a familiar flash of yellow.

"Greetings, Kazekage-dono"

The Kazekage stopped in his tracks and now stood facing his three newly arrived guests. His eyes widened as his gaze landed on the woman who greeted him. Next he stared at the other person with her and noticed that they looked alike. Lastly, his gaze went to the other person standing beside the woman. He almost had a heart attack as he gaped at the man with yellow hair, blue eyes, and was wearing a long white coat with flames designed on the bottom of it. He looked like he had seen someone risen from the dead. In which of course he has.

"Ku-kushina Uzu-Uzumaki… M-m-minatooh…" The Suna Leader stuttered as he unconsciously took a step backwards. Luckily he fell on his chair as he was still gawking at the two.

"Y-you… You…" The Kazekage was normally the silent type of person. But this was the first time he had been dumbfounded speechless.

His three visitors stared at him with solemn faces.

"P-please! No! Don't! I still have plans to accomplish!" The Kazekage stuttered as he frantically tried to escape the room. With the privacy seals on, he could not open the door or the windows for an exit. He remembered about them and undid the seals. He crashed on the office windows and escaped from the room screaming at a high pitch girly scream, running around the village.

"The Shinigami has come for me! They sent Minato and Kushina to fetch meeeeee! Kyaaaaaaa!" The Kazekage's frightened screams were heard throughout the village, causing a widespread panic.


	5. Chapter 5: Kurama

**Tobi: Yay! It's here!**

 **Deidera: So who's going to be the new character? Hmmm.**

 **JRL: Let's find out.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO**

 **Chapter Five: Kurama**

Everyone in the village stopped what they were doing as they felt waves of demonic chakra coming from the Uzukage Mansion.

 **"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!"**

Immediately members of STORM appeared everywhere telling and guiding the villagers to head to the underground bunkers immediately.

 **"UCHIHA MADARAAAAAAAAA!"**

The voice shouted as they saw a figure of a child quickly change into a figure of a fox. Soon it grew bigger as a skeleton formed. Next the skeleton formed flesh and in a few moments, the Kyuubi no Yoko once again stood in its full glory and might.

Once again, everyone stopped dead on their tracks on what they have heard. It was also the first time they heard a Tailed Beast speak, or rather, shout.

 **"KONOHA! YOU WILL PAY! BURN! ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!"**

The fox roared as it made its way away from the village and headed off to the direction of Konoha.

In another part of the village, shinobi gathered around their Uzukage and waited for her orders.

"Let Tobi help! Let Tobi help! For Tobi is a good boy!" Someone shouted. Everyone turned and saw the former Uzukage walking on their direction with a masked man who was jumping frantically.

"Let Tobi help! Tobi knows what to do!" The masked man said as everyone stared at him and widened their eyes in shock. The man had his Sharingan on and it looked different from the normal ones.

 _"A Sharingan?"_

 _"Who is this man?"_

 _"Why is he with Arashi-sama?"_

 _"Why does he have a Sharingan?"_

 _"What is an Uchiha doing here?"_

 _"Why does his Sharingan look different?_

 _"Is that the Mangekyo Sharingan?"_

Most of the shinobi thought to themselves as they stared in confusion at the weird man.

"Tobi, no. Get away from here. If he sees you, he will no doubt attack you. I cannot risk you dying."

The Kyuubi stopped its march as it sensed a familiar presence. Its eyes searched the village and rested on the spot where a huge number of shinobi were gatherd.

 **"UCHIHAAAAAAAAAAA! ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOARRRRRRRRR!"**

"This is not good. He has sensed you." The former Uzukage told his companion as the Kyuubi let out an angry roar.

"Oh shit! The bad fox has sensed Tobi! Tobi must run now, because if he does not, Tobi is going to dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" The masked man screamed at the top of his lungs as he darted off away from harm while waving his arms in the air.

 _"What the fuck?"_ Most of the shinobi who were watching shouted in their heads. They immediately regained composure and stood in attention, waiting for orders.

"Tou-sama." The Uzukage regarded her father.

"What are we going to do? We cannot just attack it as it might hurt my Naru-chan."

"Keep it away from the village. Lead it to the shorelines. I want sealing barriers waiting there and already set up to keep the Kyuubi from going outside our protective seals. It will eventually lose steam and Naruto-kun will regain consciousness. Trust in Naruto-kun. I'm sure he will be able to control the Kyuubi. Now go!"

Everyone nodded as all of them headed for the shorelines. Minato went after the Kyuubi to lure it or to Hiraishin it to the beach to keep the village from getting destroyed.

"Tou-sama. Who was that man? Why did he have a Mangekyou Sharingan? What was he doing with you? And why is he like that? Did he hit his head or something?"

"Tobi is a good boy. I'll tell you about him later." Arashi chuckled as they followed to the shorelines.

 **Minato's POV**

Minato immediately went after the masked man to assist. He rushed past the Kyuubi and got to Tobi.

"Tobi, we need to lure the Kyuubi to the shorelines. The others are setting a trap there and away from the village."

The masked man stared at Minato in surprise as he was addressed. He then got over it and nodded.

"Tobi is going to lure the bad fox to the trap. Because Tobi is a good boy."

"Tobi is a good boy." Minato nodded as they went to the shorelines.

The good news, the village were safe from being damaged by the Kyuubi. The bad news, Minato was recognized by the Kyuubi and it also went after him.

 **"You! It was you! It was you who sealed me/the Kyuubi inside me!"** The Kyubi roared. Minato noticed the two voices.

 _""Me"? How did my son know? Did someone tell him?"_

 **"You and Ka-chan left me to suffer in Konoha! You let them take me! Now I know why everyone treated me so badly! It was you who did it!"**

 **"I know you are an Uchiha! I can see your fucking eye! You are related to that bastard who controlled me!"**

 **"I'm going to kill you! / You left me alone!"** It roared as two personalities were trying to overpower each other and speak.

 **"This is all your fault!"** It roared and cried at the same time.

Minato could hear the anguish in its voice. He was certain now of his son knowing everything. But how he found out, he did not have any idea.

 **Normal POV**

Everyone in the village could hear its ramblings. They felt quite sorry as they knew the youngest heir was somehow conscious and was currently feeling a lot pain and hurt in his heart.

Kushina heard her son through the Kyuubi and also felt heartbroken. Her Naru-chan blamed them for what happened to him. Of course he had every right to be angry at them as she knew she should have looked for her son when he was kidnapped. Minato felt his heart like it was being squeezed. He felt very guilty for being the cause of his son's awful life in Konoha. Both parents blamed their selves for what has and what was currently happening to their son. They felt how much hurt he was.

Minato stumbled and thankfully Tobi was able to catch him. The masked man helped him run towards the shoreline. They were almost near. They reached their destination and Tobi guided the blonde and let the man hug his wife.

"This is all my fault" Minato and Kushina both said as they bowed their heads low and cried in shame.

The former Uzukage, seeing how broken his daughter and his son-in-law at the moment, took charge.

"Here it comes!" Arashi roared.

The Kyuubi found its target and let out another roar. It went at them charging fast.

"Seal!"

"Hai!"

 **"Uzumaki Style: Enclosure of the Five Elements!"**

All of the shinobi roared as they activated the trap. Five different beams of chakra shot to the sky and immediately connected to each other and formed a pentagonal prism and held the demon fox inside. The Kyuubi tried to run past it but found it could not. It roared in frustration and charged at the barrier. The ground shook as the barrier stood still and the Kyuubi no Yoko remained inside. It continued to rampage inside its cage and tried to escape.

 **Naruto's Mindscape**

Naruto was hunched into a ball and was still crying. He stopped crying for a moment as he felt cold and thought he heard his cries echoed. He looked up and found himself inside an enclosed forest. He felt scared as he had no idea how he got there.

"Wh-where am I?" He sniffled as he walked around the forest trying to find another life form. He saw a pathway and followed it. He walked for about what seemed to be ten minutes and finally saw a clearing. At the far end he saw a golden cage that seemed to be seventy feet high and a hundred feet wide. On its gate was a red tag with the kanji for "seal" on it.

"Woah…" Was the only thing he said as he marveled at the huge cage.

"Hello? Is-is anybody here?"

 **"So my jailor finally graces me with his presence."** A booming voice said. Naruto jumped in fear as he was startled and found the voice dark and heavy.

"Who-who's th-there?" He nervously asked as he heard footsteps approaching.

"You-y-you're… the… the…" His voice was lost as he was now staring at a giant fox with nine tails.

The fox lowly roared as its tails went swishing around. The light of the cage illuminated the fox allowing the boy to watch it in its glory.

"B-beautiful. W-wow… You are so… beautiful and… AWESOME!" Naruto squealed in amazement. He had stars in his eyes as he stared at the fox with an adoring look.

The Kyuubi stopped trying to intimidate the boy and was now very confused on how he was acting. He tilted its head and examined the boy.

Naruto found the fox more adorable as it tilted its head in confusion.

 **"Beautiful? You find me awesome. Hmmmm… The Great and Fearsome Kyuubi no Yoko, is found beautiful and awesome by a five year old boy and is not even intimidated at all. Look at him everyone, he's got stars in his eyes."** The Kyuubi said as it sighed, totally forgetting about trying to intimidate the boy, seeing it was useless.

"But you really are beautiful! You look magnificent with your tails swishing around. It's freaking awesome!" He said as he unconsciously entered the cage.

The boy tried to touch the fox while it growled menacingly at him. Naruto failed to notice it as he was too star struck with the Kyuubi.

 **"You are an odd human, did you know that?"** It asked him softly. The intimidating voice gone. Now replaced by a warm and beautiful voice.

"What the-?" Naruto said as he watched the Kyuubi slowly shrunk. Soon he was staring at a beautiful woman with long red hair and red, captivating eyes.

"Y-you… d-did you just…?" The boy stuttered. His eyes widened as he noticed the woman was not wearing anything. "Y-you're… you're…!"

The boy did not finish his sentence as he fainted. His cheeks were red from blushing.

 **"Now that's cute…"** The vixen commented as she picked up the boy and walked to nearby tree. She sat down and rested the boy's head on her lap.

 **"I'm not getting dressed if he keeps fainting like this. He must imagine me wearing clothes first. This is his mindscape after all."** She muttered to herself as she waited for the boy to regain consciousness.

"Mmmm… Ugh. What-?!" Naruto shouted as he realized he cannot see.

 **"Shhhhh. Relax. It's just my hand. I'm covering your eyes. You will probably faint again if you saw me. Now, imagine me clothed before I let you see again."**

"Oh. Okay…" Naruto said as he imagined the woman clothed.

 **"Woah, wait! Not orange! I'm fine with a simple white kimono! Not your orange jumpsuit!"**

"Huh? But you said to imagine you clothed."

 **"Yeah, I did. But not orange. It's horrible. It doesn't compliment my hair."**

"Pfft. Okay, okay."

 **"Now that's better. Thank you."** The woman said as she let the boy see again. The boy took in his surroundings and realized he was resting his head on the woman's lap. She was now wearing a white kimono as he imagined.

"Okay… So, wow. You are a female? I didn't know that. That's awesome, I guess. But the question is, who are you, really?"

 **"Me? I thought you already figured it out. I'm the Kyuubi no Yoko."**

"I know that already. But who are you? What is your name? You cannot just be the Kyuubi. Yeah, sure, you are the fox with nine tails. But that's just your title, right? You got to have a name. So what is your name?"

 **"You really are an odd one. You are the first human who asked for my name."**

"What? So people just referred to you as the Kyuubi ni Yoko?"

The woman sadly nodded. The boy went to a sitting position and hugged her.

"It's okay. You can tell me your name." The blonde said as he showed the redhead one of his foxy grins. The woman finally smiled.

 ** _"You are a good person. I can see it in you. Well, I've been living with you ever since you were born, so, yeah. Should I tell you my name? You seemed polite enough so I guess it won't hurt telling you my name, and since you asked so nicely..."_**

 **"Kurama. My name's Kurama."** She smiled at the boy warmly.

"Nice to meet you, Kurama-chan. I'm Naruto."

Kurama just smiled and nodded.

"Can I ask you something?"

 **"You already did. But, sure. Ask."**

"How did I get here? Where am I?"

 **"You do not know? Oh, right. This is your first time. We are inside your mindscape. You see, your pent up negative emotions finally reached its limit and you sort of exploded. Right now, you have achieved my Nine Tailed Fox form and are currently rampaging."**

"What?" The boy asked, horrified. "How do I stop? I need to wake up!"

 **"There's nothing you can do. You need to let it all out. If you don't, then you will die. I am also the embodiment of hate you see. One of my powers is detecting negative emotions. You have lots. And so do I. Both our anger, sadness, and resentment have combined and ultimately caused you to lose consciousness while your body transformed into the Kyuubi."**

The boy just sadly nodded.

 _"Great. Now Uzushiogakure will also think of me as a demon. They will treat me just like Konoha."_

 **"I don't think they will. You see, your parents and your village loves you. They understand your pain. It is just normal for a person to let loose from time to time.** She said as she heard his thoughts.

"How?"

 **"We are in your mindscape. I can hear what you are saying in your head."**

"Oh."

 **"What are you feeling at the moment?"**

"Sad. Betrayed."

 **Kurama just nodded, encouraging the boy to talk more.**

"Although I try to forgive them, in the back of my mind, I just can't. They abandoned me. And now that I know why Konoha hated me, I blame my father for everything."

The redhead felt guilty. She felt she was the bane of his existence.

 **"I'm sorry. This is all my fault."**

"NO. It is not your fault. I do not blame you for what's happened to me." The boy told her sternly.

 **"What? But…"**

"Something tells me you too were just also a victim. I do not know how. But I can tell you are innocent. I do not blame you for being sealed inside me."

 **"Y-you don't…?"** Kurama felt like she wanted to cry and hug the boy.

"Of course not. You are my friend after all. I trust in you. All you have to do is prove it."

 **"Friend? You consider me you friend…"**

"Of course we are friends! Now I knew it was you who kept me from dying. I haven't thanked you for that yet, so, thank you. Thank you for keeping me alive. Thank you for healing me. Thank you for being with me."

Kurama felt speechless. The boy didn't hate her being sealed inside him. Nor he didn't blame her for what's happened to him. He did the opposite, Naruto thanked her for being with him.

 **"We will be here for a while. You have a lot of anger to let out. So I would like to show you something. I think it's the least I can do. And since you asked for it, I'm proving my innocence to you."**

"I know you are a good person Kurama-chan." Naruto smiled at her.

Kurama did not miss the "person" and the "-chan" suffix.

 ** _"He is treating me like an equal, like a person himself. He really is different from most humans."_** She thought to herself as she nodded to Naruto.

 **"Let me take you back to the time when Uzushiogakure and Konohagakure was newly founded..."**

 **Anime Style: Flashback no Jutsu**

 **Newly Founded Konoha**

"My friend, there is no need for violence. We can just ask them to ally with us."

"Hashirama, they rival us in power. Some say that their clan is even stronger than both our clans combined. They must be destroyed before they get stronger."

"Madara, your judgement is being clouded. Think this over. I will talk to you again once you have cooled down." Hashirama said as he walked away

 _"No. Not you too. Why does everyone contradict me? Even my clansmen does not even listen to me anymore."_

 **2 Hours Later, Uchiha Compound**

"My brethren, we must revolt. I already told you before that the Senju will someday overthrow us. This so called peace is temporary." Madara said before his whole clan.

"We cannot do that. We have been warring with the Senju for a hundred years. Now that they have called for our battles to a stop, we cannot just go back to our former state."

"We cannot let them reign forever! It should have been us who leads Konoha."

"But we do lead Konoha with the Senju."

"No, we don't. It should have been me, an Uchiha, who became the Shodaime Hokage."

"There is a reason why we Uchihas, your own clansmen, voted for Hashirama for the position of the Shodaime. The Senju wants peace, while you want war. But we Uchihas also want peace."

"There will be no peace forever. Just so you know, Hashirama plans on allying with the Uzumaki Clan. If that happens, they will be stronger. And our clan will be oppressed in the future!"

"You are being paranoid, Madara."

"No, I am not! I just want what is best for the clan!"

"Let us say we agreed to revolt. Then what? The Senju allies with the Uzumaki. The Uzumaki Clan is far stronger than both Senju and Uchiha Clans combined! We challenge both clans, and then the Uchiha will be slaughtered! We do not stand a chance at all! You will only lead our clan to an end!"

Madara was feeling downed by his clansmen more and more. But he still tried to convince them.

"My people, you forget that we have eyes that can take down a whole nation! We do have a chance to defeat them. For we have this!" Madara proclaimed as he flared them his Mangekyou Sharingan.

"We do have the Mangekyou Sharingan, yes. But we still do not stand a chance against the Uzumaki. They are direct descendants of the Rikudo Sennin! I would not be surprised if the Uzumaki Clan wielded the Rinnegan!"

"That is only a myth! It has not been proven by anyone. Nobody alive has ever seen the Rinnegan. Only the Six Paths himself wielded it."

"The Uchiha Clan will discover about the Uzumaki Clan's Rinnegan, if ithey really do wield it, in terms of peace, rather than see the Rinnegan used by them in battle!"

"We are not going anywhere with this. This meeting is pointless. We will not revolt. We will keep our peace with the Senju. We will not wish for our clan to be put to a meaningless slaughter.

Uchiha Madara tried to convince his clan every two consecutive days. But his clan still would not listen to him. Finally, he gave up on his third attempt to talk to them. A week after his last talk with Hashirama, Madara finally decided to leave the village. He cut his ties with the Uchiha Clan and Konoha. Since nobody would listen to him, he made plans on destroying both the Senju and the Uzumaki. He felt betrayed by his own clan and so he hated his clansmen for it. They too will pay for their insubordination. He was the Uchiha Clan head. But they no longer listened to him.

Madara had been a missing-nin for two weeks now. Back in Konoha, the Shodaime Hokage, Senju Hashirama, had begun his negotiations with the head of the Uzumaki Clan. The negotiations were almost complete and soon Uzushiogakure will be allied to Konohagakure. Meanwhile, Madara finally found a way to annihilate both clans.

He was wandering off while training and stopped on a nearby cave to take some rest. He then heard low growling sounds inside the cave. He went to inspect and found the thing Hashirama had failed to find. Madara found the Kyuubi no Yoko. He watched the giant nine tailed beast sleeping peacefully.

 _"Who would have thought I would be the one to find it. And to think that no one ever did when it is inside the Fire Country's borders."_ Madara thought to himself as he applied chakra on his eyes and activated his Sharingan.

The Kyuubi felt an intruding presence and opened its eyes. Its eyes found a man with long black hair wearing a red battle armor and a gourd-like battle staff on his back. The man had red eyes with three tomoes on it.

 **"So an Uchiha graces me with his presence."** The Kyuubi muttered.

"On this day forth, I am going to be your new master."

 **"Don't make me kill you. Leave now while I'm still feeling merciful."**

"You are the one who is going to be in my mercy."

The Kyuubi rose and angrily roared at the intruder. The audacity of the man. How dare him. It took in the man's features and memorized it.

"Know your place demon. Remember this. I, Uchiha Madara, am your master."

 **"Mangekyou Sharingan. Kotoamatsukami."**

The last thing the Kyuubi remembered seeing before it lost consciousness was a pair of red eyes with a star-like formation on it, the three tomoes evolved.

 _"Go to Uzushiogakure and destroy the Uzumaki Clan. When you are done, attack Konohagakure next."_ Madara commanded the Kyuubi through his thoughts. The Kyuubi roared and left the cave, heading out to comply his master's command.

 ** _"Nooooooooooooo! I cannot be controlled by a mere human!"_** The Kyuubi thought as it tried to fight but its mind and body won't respond and it still moved to follow the Uchiha's orders.

 **Later that night, Uzushiogakure**

Mito Uzumaki, the Shodaime Uzukage, was awake and was watching over her village when she felt an evil presence. Something, or someone with a very huge chakra was approaching fast. Mito alerted the village and called for her subordinates.

"I can sense something with a very huge chakra approaching fast. Alert the village and escort everyone to the safe houses. I want every shinobi available follow me to the shorelines. We will meet the intruder there."

"Hai."

Soon the sounds of the sirens woke the whole village and genins escorted them to safety. The higher ups went after their Uzukage to assist. As they were preparing, they heard a very loud, and angry roar.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?"

 **Uzushio Shorelines**

Mito Uzumaki stared at the sea as she felt the huge chakra signature approaching fast. Soon she saw a giant fox with nine tails.

 **"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"**

"WHAT THE HELL?" The shinobi that gathered shouted in unison.

"IS THAT?"

"THE KYUUBI!"

"Don't let it get past the shorelines! It must not reach the village!" The Uzukage ordered.

"Sealing teams, here it comes, sealing teams, get ready!"

 **"Uzumaki Style: Enclosure of the Five Elements!"** The shinobi roared as they trapped the Kyuubi.

"Hold still!"

"It's going to break free!"

"Aaaaaaahhhhhh!" The people screamed as the Kyuubi shook the ground. It thrashed wildly inside its trap causing some of its captors to lose balance.

"It's out!"

"Battle formation!"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" They screamed in pain as they were swatted like flies.

"It's charging to the village!"

"Everyone, clear the way. You have done your duty. Leave the battle to me." Mito Uzumaki told her shinobi as her eyes turned purple and ring patterns formed on it. Everyone immediately got out of the way as they realized what their Uzukage was about to do.

 **"Bansho Ten'in"**

The Uzukage said as she raised her arms forward and opened her hands showing her palms. An invisible force forced the Kyuubi to stop its charge.

 **"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!"** It roared in anger as it was halfway dragged and floated back to the shorelines.

Everyone watched the battle in amazement as the Kyuubi was dragged towards their Uzukage. Their leader sidestepped as the Kyuubi neared her to avoid getting hit. It hovered above their Uzukage for a moment before she called on another jutsu.

 **"Shinra Tensei"**

The Kyuubi was sent back crashing to the sea. Mito went after it and quickly made hand seals.

"I will not let you destroy my village." She declared as she finished her seals.

 **"Senpo: Myojinmon" (Sage Art: Gate of the Great God)**

 **"Seal Head"**

A huge red torri fell down from the heavens and pinned the Kyuubi's neck to the ground.

 **"Seal Ten"**

Ten more torris fell down and landed on each tail. The last landing on top of its body. The Kyuubi was now pinned to the seafloor and unable to move.

 **"Uzumaki Secret – Blood Seal: Double Hexagonal Consuming Seal"**

Six pillars appeared forming a hexagonal prism trapping the Kyuubi inside. Another prism appeared and connected to the Uzukage. The Kyuubi was slowly sucked by the hexagon and was transferred to the other that was connected to the Uzukage. It gave one last hateful roar before it got completely sealed inside the woman.

"If you use your power, only hatred will come from it. Stay tranquil deep inside me." Mito told the beast that was now sealed inside her as she headed back to the shore. The scene became disrupted and abruptly ended.

 **Flashback end**

"Woah. What happened? Why did we stop?"

 **"Something has happened outside that interrupted us."**

 **Outside the Mindscape**

The-Naruto-transformed-into-Kyuubi was still rampaging inside the pentagonal trap. The ground shook as it attempted to get out.

"Arashi-sama, it's going to break free!"

 _"Why do I feel like this is a déjà vu?"_ The former Uzukage thought as his eyes changed color and became purple. Kushina looked at the former Uzukage in time and realized what her father was about to do.

"Tou-san! Please don't! You're going to hurt Naruto-kun!"

The barrier shattered and before the Kyuubi could realize it was free again, Kushina rushed in front of it.

"Kushina! / Uzukage-sama!" Everyone shouted in concern as they watched the woman rush to the Kyuubi.

"Naruto-kun, please. Please come back. Come back to us. Please come back to ka-chan." She sobbed and begged to the creature in front of her.

Everyone nervously watched their Uzukage as she was completely vulnerable. The Kyuubi also stopped thrashing and stared at the woman in front of it.

 **"Ka… Ka-chan…"** It growled lowly.

 **Naruto's Mindscape**

Kurama and Naruto watched what was happening outside through their minds.

 **"It would seem that you are starting to calm down now."**

"Ka… Ka-chan…"

 **"We'll continue watching the memories later."**

 **Outside Naruto's Minscape**

 **"Ka… Ka-chan…"** It repeated. And then it roared angrily.

 **"Y-you abandoned me. You left me in the hands of Konoha…"**

"Naruto-kun… I'm so sorry..." His mother sobbed as she fell to her knees.

"Please, come back to us. Let us fix our mistakes." Minato said as he appeared beside Kushina.

"Naruto-kun…" Kushina still wept.

It felt like an hour but it only three minutes have passed before the Kyuubified Naruto finally calmed down. Its body released steam as it slowly shrunk. A few more minutes past they were now staring at a blonde child with his skin very bloody. The boy's skin also released steam as it got healed and returned to normal.

"Naruto-kun!" Minato and Kushina shouted as they both rushed to catch their son. Kushina quickly took her son and cradled him to her arms.

"Naruto-kun… I'm so sorry…" Kushina murmured as she stood up carrying her son's unconscious form. The parents now noticed their son was still clutching a book. Minato took the book from the boy and inspected it. He found out it was a book about Konoha when the Kyuubi attacked.

"So this is how he found out. I thought someone told him. He figured it out by himself." Minato murmured and showed the book to his wife.

"Let us go back to the village." Kushina told him. She then turned to her shinobi and addressed them. "Return to the village and inspect for damages. Half of you remain here and check the village's protective seals. See if there are any leaks."

"Hai!"

Minato vanished in a flash of yellow and now stood behind Tobi, a kunai on the masked man's neck.

"Ack! Let Tobi go! Tobi is a good boy!"

"Minato, calm down. He is not that man." Arashi told him. "We'll explain everything about him later."

The blonde let him go and put his kunai back in his pouch. The four people plus one unconscious child went back to the village.

 **Back to Naruto's Mindscape**

"Hello Kurama-chan."

 **"Welcome back Naruto. Now, let us continue…"**

 **Flashback no Jutsu. 18 years ago.**

 **Outside Konoha. Secret Location.**

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"Push! I can see the head."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Both Minato and Kushina shouted. Minato shouted in pain as his wife gripped his hand while Kushina screamed on giving birth.

"A little more!"

"Push!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU MINATOOOOOOOOOO! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"

"Kill him later. Push! She's almost out!" The midwife said as Minato paled even more.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

"One last push!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Uwaaaa! Uwaaaa!" A small voice cried.

"My baby." Kushina cried.

"Narumi-chan…" She murmured.

Minato massaged his hand and went to his wife's side. But before he could, he felt an incoming presence.

"What a loving family." A voice said. Everyone turned and saw a masked man with his eyes visible. He wielded the Sharingan. "How unfortunate would it be if someone… killed her?"

The man said as he appeared beside Kushina and grabbed the baby. He threw it across the room.

"NO!" Minato rushed to catch his daughter.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Minato was able to catch his daughter and held her. He turned and saw the man pressing his wife's stomach making her scream in pain.

 **"ROOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRR!"**

"The Kyubi! It's going to break free!"

"Kushina! Wake up! You need to keep it inside!" Minato frantically shouted to his wife who was now unconscious."

"YOU BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO KILL MY GRANDDAUGHTER!"

The midwife roared in anger as she immediately appeared behind the man and punched him with her superhuman strength. The man was sent flying into the wall and the wall got blasted away as the man collided with it. He had no choice but to battle with the angry woman.

Meanwhile the room was already collapsing because of the ongoing battle. Minato still carried Narumi in his arms while the nurses helped move Kushina's bed out of the room. They cannot do anything about the Kyuubi now as the jinchuuriki was unconscious. They rushed back to Konoha's gates and was immediately helped.

"Minato! What happened?" A pale man appeared.

"Orochimaru sensei! A masked man appeared after Kushina gave birth. He released the Kyuubi from her seal. He is now battling with Tsunade-sama."

"I'm going to assist my teammate. Take care of the two, Minato."

Orochimaru arrived at the birthing place and found it destroyed, turned into a battlefield. He just arrived in time to keep his teammate from being killed. The masked man was about to finish of his teammate.

 **"Sen'ei Tajashu!" (Multiple Striking Shadow Snakes)**

He shouted as snakes shot out of his arm and attacked the masked man. The masked got hit in the neck and was thrown away from the woman. He was unable to dodge since his body was all banged up. He had multiple cuts and multiple broken bones.

"You are lucky today, Konoha. I will return." The masked man proclaimed as he vanished in space.

"Tsunade!" The pale man rushed to his teammate.

"My daughter, Kushina… My granddaughter, Narumi... Promise me… Keep them safe…" The woman told Orochimaru before she lost consciousness.

Orochimaru carried his teammate and rushed her to the hospital. The Kyuubi ended up escaping during the battle. It turned out that it was under control by the masked man but lost control of it when he battled the very angry midwife. Tsunade, because of the man messing up with technique, the Sozou Saisei, ended up in a comma. The doctors were able to identify that her body was forced to do and undo the Kinjutsu multiple times before she got her chakra drained making both her mind and body very weak and put in a death-like state.

 **14 Years Later, Konoha**

 **Hokage's Office**

"Minato! You cannot just leave Konoha. You are the Hokage."

"But Sarutobi! Uzushiogakure is under attack! I need to go to my family!" He tried to argue to the old man but he just got out of the room.

"Don't worry about it Minato. I'll convince Sensei. You may stay here."

"Thank you Orochimaru-Sensei." Minato said as Orochimaru went after Sarutobi to convince him and gather reinforcements to send to Uzushio.

 **Outside the Office**

"Sensei! We need to help our allies!"

"No. We'll only get on the way. The reinforcements we'll send will be killed. There are too many enemies. We won't stand a chance."

"But they are our allies"

"No."

"What the hell is wrong with you sensei? You know what? I don't care. I'm going to Uzushiogakure with or without your help. I'm going to assist our allies!" Orochimaru yelled as he stormed off.

Sarutobi just watched the pale man walk away.

"We cannot let him waste his life for those people. They will be all dead before this day ends." Said a new voice.

"Danzo. Order your ROOT to stop my student from leaving."

"As you wish." The war hawk nodded as he signaled for his hidden ROOT members.

A ROOT ANBU appeared in front of them kneeling.

"Danzo-sama. Sarutobi-sama. Fugaku-san has arrived with the child."

"Good. Take us to him."

 **Outside Fire Country**

The masked man who attacked and vanished fourteen years ago had already made a full recovery. He went on the lookout for the Kyuubi and was able to find it after searching for years.

"And so we meet again."

 **"You! I'm going to kill you!"**

"I am your master. You will follow my orders."

 **"RAAAAAAAAAA!"**

 **"Mangekyou Sharingan. Kotoamatsukami"**

 ** _"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! NOT AGAIN!"_**

 _"Become a useful servant, demon. Go to Konoha and destroy it."_

 **6 Hours Later, Konohagakure**

 **"ROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!"**

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The Konoha shinobi screamed before they died. Some were crushed by the Kyuubi's paws, some were killed by it claws. Some died getting bit, cut in half, and bled to death. A hundred bodies now lay dead on the streets while buildings were on fire. The populace was losing morale and many were starting to give up.

 **Root Base**

"We will use this child. This thing will be our future weapon."

"He will be able to survive the process. He is an Uzumaki just like the Kyuubi's previous jinchuurikis.

"Let us talk to Minato about using the Shiki Fujin. His sacrifice will be for Konoha. And we will finally get rid of that man."

"Fugaku. Cast a genjutsu on this child so Minato would not recognize it."

"Ironic if he agrees to it. He will seal a demon to his own son."

"Orochimaru is still locked up in prison. Even if he manages to escape, it will be too late to save his precious student."

 **Konoha Forests**

The shinobi were able to drive the Kyuubi away from the village. They regained hope when their Yondaime Hokage finally showed up.

 **"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"**

 **"What the hell did you call me for you brat! I demand a hundred human sacrifice for this!"**

"Manda! I need your help!"

 **"Why the hell am I sitting on top of the Kyuubi!"**

"Don't argue! Just help me here damn it!"

"Minato! The only way to defeat the Kyuubi is to seal it inside a human!"

"Use this child!"

"What? Whose child is this?"

"We do not know. A woman just gave this child to us a few minutes ago. She said the child's an Uzumaki survivor from the attack."

"Survivor? What of my family?"

"I'm sorry, Minato. Orochimaru managed to persuade me and we sent reinforcements after we talked. But they too were killed. The woman told us this child is the last Uzumaki alive."

The blonde Hokage froze in horror and grief. The child before him was the last Uzumaki alive. His family was dead. He was the only one left. He immediately fell into depression. The Sandaime and the War Hawk used his depression to manipulate him.

"We are very sorry for your loss Minato."

 ** _"That sounds suspicious. That gaki looks exactly like Minato. Didn't he have a new born son? What if that's him? Yes, the child's got to be his son."_** The boss snake thought as he was not affected by the genjutsu that was cast on the child by Uchiha Fugaku.

"It is the only way, Minato."

"My family is gone… Who will I live for now?" The blonde Hokage asked. Completely lost.

 **"Mangekyou Sharingan"** Fugaku whispered.

"Seal the Kyuubi inside this child."

Minato just blankly nodded and took the infant.

 **"Oi, brat. What are you doing? You can't just seal the Kyuubi into your own son!"**

 _"How did that snake know? We cannot let that thing hinder our plans. That snake needs to be dismissed. It will only interfere with our plans."_ Danzo thought as he glanced at Fugaku. Signaling him to do something.

 _"Minato. Dismiss your summon."_

The blonde Hokage just nodded as he dismissed Manda.

 ** _"Something is wrong here… Why are Minato's eyes blank? Is he under control? Shit! He is!"_** The snake thought. Before he could try and wake his summoner, Minato dismissed him.

 _"Good. Now, seal the Kyuubi inside your son! Muwahahaha!"_

 **"Shiki Fujin"**

 ** _"NOOOOOO! I'M NOT GETTING SEALED AGAIN!"_** The Kyuubi angrily thought as it regained consciousness from being controlled by the masked man.

The Shinigami appeared and did the ritual. The Kyuubi was sealed inside the child. Just as when it was about to drag Minato's soul, the man regained consciousness.

 _"Ugh. What happened? Wait, why is the Shinigami here? Oh, Kami-sama, I sealed the Kyuubi inside that innocent child!"_ He thought as he got the memories earlier while he was being controlled. He sealed his the Kyuubi inside an innocent child! But there was nothing he can do now.

"Sarutobi. I want this child to be treated as a hero. I want him to be treated by Konoha as a hero. He is the one who defeated the Kyuubi. That is my final wish as Hokage." Minato told the old man as his soul was dragged to the stomach of the Shinigami.

 **Flashback End**

Naruto was speechless after watching the memories.

 **"Naruto… A-are you alright?"**

The boy was once again crying. Kurama tried to comfort the boy and hugged him.

 **"Shhh. It's alright."**

"You-you've been controlled. And my dad too. And my family was betrayed by who they believed their allies."

"I didn't know. And I was angry at them. Now they probably hate me for what I've told them earlier."

 **"Your parents won't be angry at you. They understand your pain. They love you."**

"H-How?"

 **"What do you mean?"**

"How were you able to do it? You said you were the embodiment of hate. But you do not look hateful. How did you overcome it?"

 **"I-I am not really sure. There is something in you. Before you got here, I always thought of murdering you the first time you visit me. But when I saw you, I just felt a calming presence. It felt so warm and friendly… And full of life."**

"I don't understand."

 **"I was inside you. I saw everything you've been through. But you still kept moving forward. I think it is your happy and positive personality? Your forgiving side?"**

"I don't understand. I am not actually happy. That was just a mask. I hated Konoha for what they did. I hated myself for not being able to defend myself. I hated my parents for abandoning me."

 **"That was your other side. You see, everyone has two sides. The bright side and the dark side. Your past experiences in life put you through a lot. And most were bad. It has piled up and your dark side is showing has overpowered you with my dark side combined. Our negative feelings and emotions piled up high and merged, causing you to channel my dark side's chakra and transform into Kyuubi."**

"How do we overpower it? How can we not filled with hate?"

 **"Love, Naruto. It's love. Let me tell you something I've heard from your great great grandmother, Mito Uzumaki. When she was too old and needed to transfer me into another vessel, she told your mother this, "We came here to be the vessels of the Nine-Tails… But before that, we must find love and fill the vessel with it.""**

 **"When your mother became jinchuuriki, she was always able to suppress my rage. She always fought my dark side. I'm not comparing her to you, okay? I just want you to understand the power of love. Naruto, you have a lot of people around you who loves you dearly. Use it. Make it your power. Your motivation."**

 **"Remember what you told your parents? You wanted to become a shinobi so that you could protect those who are precious to you. That is love, Naruto. Having someone to protect will drive you to become stronger."**

"I… I see. Love…" The boy whispered. He was still trying to comprehend what Kurama told him. They were silent for a few minutes.

"Kurama-chan. You are innocent."

 **"What?"**

"You are innocent. You did not mean to attack Uzushiogakure and Konohagakure. You were controlled by that time."

 **"Yes I was. But humans thought I attacked them on my own will."**

"I will tell them you did not. I will tell them you were controlled. I am going to prove your innocence Kurama-chan."

 **"You-you would really do that?"**

"Of course! We are friends, right?"

 **"Friends? O-okay."**

"Yay! We are friends!" The boy cheered.

"Thank you for sharing with me those memories Kurama-chan. I'm going to take a rest now. I feel like my head's going to explode." The boy tried to excuse himself as he felt troubled by his transformation earlier. Kurama did not notice the boy's conflicted look.

 **"Come visit me again whenever you feel like it. You're always welcome here. Having you around makes me feel good and warm."**

"Will do, Kurama-chan!" The boy said as he vanished.

 ** _"You may be just like Father. He treated us Tailed Beasts as beings and not some evil creations. You understand our feelings just like the Rikudo Sennin. I will expect great things from you, Naruto…kun."_** Kurama thought as smiled to herself.

 **Outside Naruto's Mindscape**

A day had already passed since the Kyubified Naruto rampaged. He was still bedridden and his parents were now worried. They haven't left their son's side since yesterday and forgot about interrogating Tobi "The Good Boy" for now.

"Minato-kun, he's still hasn't awakened."

"Naruto-kun will be fine. Our son is strong. He is just resting. I believe that was the first time he got access to the Kyuubi's chakra. And he did transform into the Kyuubi itself."

Just then they heard their son whimpering.

"No, no. Please. Please don't hurt me. It was an accident." The boy cried as he rolled in his sleep.

"Please, I did not mean it. Don't be like Konoha. I am not a demon!"

"Naruto-kun!" Kushina immediately rushed beside her son and hugged him.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. Please don't hurt me." The boy continued to cry in his sleep while he shook his head.

"Naruto-kun, please wake up! That is not true! We do not hate you. Please, wake up." Kushina said as she gently shook her son trying to wake him.

Naruto woke up from his nightmare and realized his mother was hugging him.

"Ka-chan. Tou-chan." The boy said weakly. His parents looked at him and found him finally awake but he looked very miserable.

"Naruto-kun. Shhhh. It's okay, don't cry."

"I'm sorry. I did not mean to get angry. I'm sorry. Please don't hate me." The boy begged as he cried to his mother.

"It's okay, Naru-chan. We understand. We do not hate you for what happened."

"I-I was angry at you... At everyone. But I did not understand and I did not know the truth. But now I know. I'm sorry."

His parents were a bit confused with his words but decided to ask him about it later.

"Shhh. It's alright, sochi-kun. Ka-chan loves you. Tou-chan loves you. Your siblings love you. Uzushiogakure loves you. We know everything you have been through. We understand your pain and your pent up anger. You will not be hated for transforming into Kyuubi. It is normal for a person to be angry and explode at one point. You have been through a lot."

"Lo-love…" Naruto whispered.

"Yes, Naruto-kun. Love. We love you Naru-chan." Kushina said as she kissed her son's forehead.

Naruto nodded and later fell asleep again.

"He's still tired. Kushina-chan, I'll be going out for now. I need to speak with the council." His wife nodded and he left his son's room.

Kushina laid her son to the bed and cuddled with him. Soon she too fell asleep.

 **Chapter Five End**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **1\. Tsunade is Kushina's mother, yes. Until this time, she is still in a coma. What of Shizune? I'll write about Tsunade and Shizune's back story in the future chapters.**

 **2\. The Rinnegan is the official dojutsu of the Uzumaki. It will be explained in the next chapter, Chapter Six: Secrets**

 **3\. Orochimaru is Minato's sensei as well as the godfather of Naruto. Why didn't I choose Jiraiya? Answer: In the canon, he wasn't there for Naruto. He was too busy with his spynetwork, peeping, women, and writing his books. He left his godson in the hands of Konoha when he knew the villagers hated him.**

 **Tobi: Yay! Tobi cannot wait for the next chapter!**

 **Deidera: ...**

 **Tobi: Deidera-senpai is silent. Is Deidera-senpai jealous because Tobi made an appearance?**

 **Deidera: ...**

 **Tobi: Hahahaha! Deidera-senpai is jealous!**

 **Deidera: *forms clay birds***

 **Tobi: Yikes! *runs***

 **Deidera: Come back here and let me bomb the fuck out of you! Hmmm!**

 **JRL: That's all guys. Thank you and see you all next chapter! :D**


	6. Chapter 6: Secrets Revealed

**Tobi: Yay! You're back!**

 **Deidera: Finally! Chapter Six is here, hmm!**

 **JRL: Sorry for the long time update guys. As I have posted on my profile, Chapters 6-8 might take long as it is already midterm in my college. I have a lot of stuff to do at school. Anyway, I do not own Naruto. Enjoy Chapter 6! :) :D**

 **Chapter Six: Secrets Revealed**

 **Uzushiogakure Council Room**

"Report."

"Hai. Uzukage-sama, the team that was sent to Takigakure has located the Nanabi Jinchuuriki. They are now befriending the girl. They managed to enter the village and approach the girl with no problems at all. They told us to expect them back with her in about three to five days."

"Good."

"Any other news about possible allies?" Uzukage asked the council.

"None yet, Uzukage-sama. We are still monitoring the minor nations. Although we are considering allying with Grass Country." One of them said.

"Uzukage-sama. We have also considered Demon Country. Although it is at war at the moment."

"At war with whom? What country?"

"Actually, they are at war with the demons that reside within their country. The current priestess, Miroku, has declared war against the demon king, Moryo, who's been freed once again. The demon king has escaped his prison with the aid of some of his loyal followers by using some kind of dark medical jutsu. We believe that within two to three months, Moryo will regain his full powers and will be able to resurrect his Ghost Army."

"This is not good. With the Ghost Army resurrected, even the Five Great Nations will have trouble fighting them back."

"Uzukage-sama, if I may ask, what is this Ghost Army?"

"The Ghost Army is Moryo's personal army. These warriors are made of stone and are very hard to defeat. They can sustain very heavy amounts of damage and can regenerate if ever it loses a part. We must provide assistance with Moryo's sealing. The last time he was sealed, the priestess had to sacrifice herself. We cannot let the current priestess, Miroku, sacrifice herself like her mother and die."

"This current war could be beneficial for us. If we are to provide assistance, Oni no Kuni will be grateful to us. We will be able to easily establish an alliance with them."

"Indeed." The Uzukage agreed. "If I remember correctly, the current priestess have a daughter, right?"

"Hai, Uzukage-sama. The princess' name is Shion. She's near Naruto-sama's age."

"I will deal with the matter with Demon Country personally. I'm bringing my youngest son, Naruto, along with me."

"If I may ask, Uzukage-sama, why bring Naruto-sama with you? I have my faith in you but, don't you think he might get in the crossfire?" Some of the council members asked.

"It would be great if the Priestess' daughter and my son develop a friendly relationship so in the future, once Shion inherits her mother's position, our alliance with them would still be secured. Also, I thank you for your concern with my son. But I believe he will be of great help when I come to Demon Country. You see, I intend on bringing Shion here in Uzukage for protection while the war with the demons are ongoing. With Naruto along, the Priestess will be easier to convince bring her daughter here."

"We understand your point Uzukage-sama. That is indeed a great idea."

"Thank you. Are there any news about Yuki no Kuni's missing princess?"

"We still have no leads, Uzukage-sama."

"I see. The team I planned on sending to Snow Country has been formed. I simply am waiting for our spies to give us the green signal."

 **Uzushiogakure's Borders**

 **Two Days Ago**

Three young men were near the shore opposite Uzushiogakure. They happened to be on that location as they were looking for someone who could heal their master who was in a coma. They looked to be only at around the age of ten to seventeen, but were obviously not to be taken lightly as they were ANBU from Konohagakure.

"Torune-san. What is it?" A young man with long auburn hair asked. He was wearing a light brown short kimono with a black sash, grey pants, and shinobi sandals. His kimono was covered by his jacket and had his katana out.

"My bugs are going frantic. They sense a familiar demonic chakra coming from the island opposite ours." Torune replied as he held out his hand while bugs swarmed frantically around him. This young man wore a black mask that covered his eyes and head. The skin that was only visible was his mouth and nose. This man was heavily clothed and wore purple gloves. He also wore a short jacket with red straps and carried a tanto on his back.

"Hmmm. Did your bugs sense if this demonic creature has a huge dick?" A pale boy with black hair asked. This young man was wearing a grey top that showed his stomach, and grey pants that matched his shirt. Like his two companions, he was also wearing a jacket with red straps and carried a tanto on his back.

The pale boy's companions sweatdropped. _"Man. What is it with Sai-Taichou and dicks? He couldn't be gay, could he?"_ The two of them were currently thinking of the same thing.

"My bugs tell me they are not sure of the gender." Torune told his captain.

"Taichou, what are we going to do?"

"We will investigate about it if it has a penis or not. We will also try to capture it. This could turn out to be a weapon for Konoha. Danzo-sama will be pleased with us if this chakra is from a tailed beast."

"Hai." The two replied.

"We will set up camp for now. Prepare to move tomorrow morning. Torune-san, have your bugs scout the area again."

The masked man nodded as he held out his arms and a thousand bugs came out from the inside of his clothing. The swarm immediately headed to the place.

 **2 Days Later, same time while Council Meeting is Occurring.**

"Taichou, my bugs could feel the demonic chakra lingering around this island. The chakra is indeed from a tailed beast."

"Taichou, I could see a road path ahead."

"Let's go."

The three prepared to move but suddenly were surrounded by a dozen masked people. Each mask had the painting of a sea creature's head.

"Arrest them." A masked man with the painting of a shark's face pointed at the three unwanted visitors.

The three readied themselves for a fight but the leader of the group removed his mask revealing purple eyes with ring patterns on it. The leader's companions also did the same revealing eyes the same as their leader.

"Oh, fuck." Torune said.

"We're fucking fucked." Foo agreed.

The two watched nervously as they noticed their leader casually approach the man who wore the shark mask. Everybody's eyes nearly popped from their heads as the pale boy fondled with the leader's crotch.

"What the hell are you doing?" The man said, feeling molested.

"I'm trying to feel you. Hmmm, you have a long dick unlike my two comrades here. I am impressed." Sai commented.

"Oi! What are you doing? I said arrest them!"

Four STORM surrounded each of the strangers and apprehended them. Sai also tried to fondle with the other three's private parts as he was surrounded. He managed to feel all four before he lost consciousness.

"I think I'm going to need therapy after this…" The leader muttered while the other three agreed.

"Let's go back to base."

 **Uzushiogakure STORM Headquarters**

"Kaede-sama. We found these three lurking around our borders."

"These guys are from Konoha." The STORM Commander commented as he saw the three's hitai-ates. "I believe they are from Danzo's ROOT Organization. They are from another ANBU division. Bring them to the interrogation chamber."

"Hai."

"Shark, Squid, Octopus, Marlin. What happened to you four? You look shaken. Those three couldn't have possibly done something to you, have they?"

"…." The four were speechless as their faces went red in embarrassment and anger.

"Kaede-sama, the pale boy fondled with their crotches and felt their sizes before they knocked him unconscious." One of the twelve said as he looked at his four companions feeling sorry for them. This one was wearing a whale mask.

"What?"

The whale masked STORM then told his commander the exact story.

"That's totally outrageous. I never thought Danzo would have gay members among his little fan club." The STORM Commander commented.

"I need to inform the Uzukage about these three immediately. Send out more people near around our borders and check if there are more of them. They might have other companions waiting for them."

"Hai!"

 _"This is bad. Has Konoha found about us yet?"_ He thought as he dashed off to the council room.

 **Council Room**

The council was just finished discussing about Yuki no Kuni when they heard a knock on the door. The door opened and revealed the STORM Commander with a grim expression.

"Uzukage-sama, please excuse my intrusion, but my men have found three Konoha ANBU-ROOT members lurking around our border. They are now being held at the interrogation chamber."

Needless to say, there were a lot of loud murmurings among the council members.

"This council meeting is dismissed. Kaede, order all your men to scatter around the island and check for other unwanted visitors. If there are any, quickly disable them and prevent a long battle. Bring them to the interrogation chambers immediately. Also notify all the Jonins. I'm putting the village under Alert Level One."

The STORM Commander nodded and proceeded to the HQ to notify all STORM. The Uzukage hurried to the interrogation chambers while the rest of the council went off to their own compounds to inform their clansmen of the current situation.

 **Uzukage Mansion, Private Beach and Training Grounds.**

Meanwhile, Naruto was currently alone, staring at the sea. His siblings watched him sadly from a distance. They tried to convince him go out with them to hang out and have a sibling bonding but he refused to go outside the mansion in fear of the villagers hating him for transforming into Kyuubi two days ago.

"Good morning guys! How are you doing?"

"Oh. Good morning Konan-chan." The four replied as they turned to see Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato smiling and waving at them.

"How's Naruto-kun? I haven't seen him out for days." Konan asked worriedly.

"He's there. He refuses to go outside as he is worried about the villagers. We already told him not to because the villagers did not hold a grudge against him for transforming into Kyuubi. We told him that we all understood what happened to him and what caused him to rampage. But he is still skeptical." Narumi replied sadly.

"I see. Mind if we talk to him? We wanted to bond with him and teach him a few things before we leave for our mission to Amegakure. Also I have something in mind that might cheer him up and forget about the incident."

"Yeah, sure. Thanks. We'll be back inside the mansion. See you guys later."

The four trudged back to the mansion while the three Akatsuki leaders remained. Konan raised her arms and about thirty square papers floated from her body. The papers then took different forms. There were paper butterflies, cranes, and pegasi. She sent them flying to the boy and followed, with Yahiko and Nagato walking behind her.

Naruto was interrupted from his thoughts when he saw a butterfly flutter around his face and land on his nose. He watched it cautiously and with curiosity and realized it was made of paper. He heard more flapping of wings and noticed more paper butterflies, he also noticed paper cranes and pegasi.

He watched them in fascination and then almost jumped when he heard a voice.

"Beautiful, aren't they?"

Naruto turned and saw Konan walking towards him. With her were Nagato and Yahiko.

"Konan-chan!" The boy stood up and greeted the girl. The girl then went to hug him tight in greeting.

"Hello, Naruto-kun." The blue haired teen said as she released the boy from her hug.

"Yo, Naruto! How are you doing?" Yahiko cheerfully greeted.

"Hello, Naruto." Nagato said while smiling.

"Yahiko-san! Nagato-itoko! (Cousin) I'm fine…"

The three noticed the boy's expression and Konan decided to cheer him up. She willed her paper creatures to fly around and land on the boy.

"Wow. These are beautiful. Konan-chan, did you make these?"

"Yes, Naruto-kun. They are called origami. It is an art of folding papers and forming them into various shapes or forms."

"Amazing!" Naruto squealed. "Can you teach me?" He pouted, doing the **Puppy Eyes Jutsu**. The girl's heart melted at the boy.

"Of course, Naruto-kun. I was actually planning on teaching it to you."

"Wow! Really?"

Konan just smiled at him warmly and nodded.

"Can you also do foxes? I like foxes." The boy grinned sheepishly while a certain nine-tailed fox smiled at his statement.

"Yes. I can make most any form."

"Cool!"

The four spent the rest of the morning talking about random topics while at the same time, Naruto was taught origami by Konan.

 **Inside the Mansion**

The Uzumaki-Namikaze siblings were relaxing in the living room, talking to each other. They stopped when an Elite Jonin came inside, kneeling in front of them.

"Narumi-sama, Minako-sama, Mio-sama, Miho-sama. The village has been put under Alert Level One. The Uzukage has ordered you four to stay inside the mansion and guard Naruto-sama."

The four's eyes widened in surprise. Narumi was the first one to recover and inquired the Jonin.

"What happened?"

"Three Konoha ANBU were found lurking around our borders. They are now being held at the interrogation chambers. The Uzukage has ordered all STORM to scatter around the island and look for other stragglers. All of the jonins are roaming the village."

"I see. That's troubling news. We will stay here inside and watch over our little brother. Thank you."

The jonin nodded and left. Naruto's siblings hurriedly went outside to the beach. They found their little brother busy folding papers when they approached him. They realized Konan was teaching him the art of origami.

Nagato heard footsteps and turned to see the four. He immediately noticed their grim expressions and lightly tugged on Yahiko's sleeves to call his attention. Yahiko looked at his best friend and saw him silently pointing his head to the four. They silently walked away from Konan and Naruto to talk to his siblings.

"What is it?" Nagato whispered.

"The village has been put under Alert Level One. Three Konoha ANBU were found lurking near our border. The Uzukage has asked us to watch over Naruto-kun." Narumi replied.

"I suggest we all go inside the mansion and take Naruto-kun to his room. He will be safer there. This might be a private area but someone might still see him here." Minako said.

"Agreed. I'll inform Konan of the situation. You guys distract Naruto for now and get him inside." Nagato said. They all nodded and approached the two.

"Hello, Naruto-kun! What are you doing?" Narumi asked while Nagato discreetly pulled Konan away and informed her of the situation.

"Narumi nee-chan! Konan-chan has taught me origami. Look, I made a fox!" Her little brother said as he proudly showed her his work of art.

"That's beautiful, Naruto-kun. Maybe you could teach us also?"

"Okay!"

"Naruto-kun, it's almost noon. It's getting hot. Why don't we go back inside the mansion?" Minako suggested.

"Umm, yeah. I'm also hungry."

"Let's have some lunch and you can continue your origami later."

"Nee-chan, I want Ichiraku's Ramen. But I don't wanna go outside…"

"It is okay, Naruto-kun. We will order the ramen for you." Miho offered while Mio nodded in agreement.

The eight of them went back to the mansion while Konan made the papers fly so they wouldn't have to carry them. Naruto requested they have lunch inside his room and his siblings felt thankful inside. It was just what they wanted for their little brother. Narumi and Minako made several clones and stationed them outside Naruto's room while Miho and Mio went to Ichiraku's. Naruto went back to making more paper foxes while he waited for his siblings to return with the ramen.

 **Uzushiogakure's Interrogation Chambers**

"Talk" An interrogator ordered as he slapped a seal on the pale boy's forehead. The same were done to his two other companions who were in a separate room so they wouldn't be able to communicate with each other.

Their captive just stared at them expressionless. Of course he would not just talk. He was an ANBU after all. He was trained for situations like this.

The interrogators just stared at him bewildered.

"Taichou, why isn't he speaking?" One of the interrogators asked. The seal he placed on the boy's forehead was supposed to make their captive talk.

"I'm sure I wrote the seal correctly. There was no mistake on it."

The same thing were happening on the other two rooms. The interrogators were baffled on why their captives would not speak. They decided to wait for their Uzukage and tried their best to ignore their prisoners as they stared blankly at them giving them the creeps.

Back on Sai's chamber, the door of the room opened and the Uzukage entered, along with the STORM Head Commander, and followed by the Uzukage's husband.

"Uzukage-sama." The interrogators bowed. "We placed the seal on him. But he would not talk."

"Have you double checked the seal?"

"Hai, Uzukage-sama. He just stares back at us, expressionless."

"Wait, I think I know why." Minato said. "Let me take a look at him."

The young ROOT ANBU was just listening to the conversation. He could not see the newcomers' faces as they were hidden by the shadows. When he heard the man saying he will take a look on him, he waited. His eyes nearly popped from his head when he saw the man.

 _"That's… Yondaime-sama! Tou-san! Wait… I know Tou-sama was dead. He died when he sealed the Kyuubi inside a newborn child. But that man standing in front of me… It's really him! I cannot be mistaken. How is he alive?"_ He thought.

"S-sai?" Minato asked when he took a closer look at the boy. "Sai. It's really you…"

"Minato-kun, you know him?" Kushina asked as she stood beside him.

"Yes. He was one of the orphans whom I planned adopting back in Konoha before I died… Him and his brother, Shin." Minato said as he took another step near the boy and inspected him. He lifted up his chin and ordered Sai to show out his tongue. The boy complied and Minato inspected his tongue.

"I knew it. The reason why he cannot talk is because of this seal." Minato told the interrogators. "Danzo placed it to keep him from spilling the beans if ever he got captured. I wouldn't be surprised if he did this to all his ROOT members. Kushina-chan, can you take a look at this? There's more with the seal. But I couldn't identify it." He said as his wife stepped forward and inspected the seal under the boy's tongue.

"Hmmm. This is definitely a seal that prevents people from talking. But I am not sure about the additional seal. It could be a backup. But we can still overwrite it. There will be no problems by doing so." The Uzukage said as she turned to the interrogators. "Could you please pass me a sealing brush and a bottle of sealing ink?"

One of them immediately hurried to the table nearby and passed her the brush.

The Uzukage told the boy to keep his tongue out. She was surprised when the boy did not even protest but immediately followed her order.

She overwrote the seal on the boy's tongue, carefully tracing the seals. The process took about ten minutes as she had to be very careful and had to apply a drying seal first in order for the boy not to salivate. When she was done, the boy's tongue glowed red and he let out a gasp.

"I-I'm back… I-I can talk again. I can control myself now. I can actually say what I want to say…" The pale boy said to himself as he bowed his head. The other five people with him stared at him confused.

He then let out a cry of relief and raised his head to look at the Uzukage. "Thank you. Thank you. You brought me back…" He said while tears of happiness flowed down his cheeks.

"I'm back. I'm really back. They're flowing back at me. My emotions… I-I can feel again… I CAN FEEL AGAIN!" He cried with delight.

The Uzukage was still confused but she felt no harm coming from the boy. She turned at the two interrogators and ordered them to remove his bindings. The two reluctantly complied but decided to trust their Uzukage. After all, even if the boy tried to put up a fight, he would not stand a chance against three STORM and two kage level shinobi.

Sai realized his bindings were being taken off. When he was able to move again, he immediately lunged at Minato. The others were startled and were ready to take him down but realized he wasn't attacking.

"Tou-chan!" The boy said as he clung to the blonde man. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I killed him. They asked me to kill him. And then I killed him. I KILLED SHIN NII-SAN! I'm sorry! They made me do it! I couldn't stop myself… I killed my brother! I'm sorry!"

"S-Sai. Shhhh. Calm down. Take a sit." Minato requested. "Pass me a glass of water please."

"Here, Sai. Drink. Calm down, okay?"

The boy was silent for a few minutes while he sniffled from time to time.

"I'm okay now…"

"Good boy. Can you tell us what happened?"

"Hai. It started during the night the Kyuubi attacked. I and Shin-niisan were running for cover since the orphanage had been destroyed while the Kyuubi was rampaging. Then we saw you and a group of ANBU heading towards a clearing. We decided to help and went after you but we were stopped by an old man with many bandages. The last thing we saw before Nii-san and I lost consciousness was you summoning a giant snake. And then everything went black. When I woke up I had no idea where I was. I was tied to a chair. I asked them where my Nii-san was but they just hit me so I shut up. And then they put something on my forehead making me unable to move a muscle. They pulled my tongue out and drew something under it. The next thing I knew was losing consciousness but I was still awake. It was as if my true self was pulled back in my mind and another person took over. After that, they led me outside the room and saw all the other orphans. I also saw other children who I knew to have families. There was also Shin. I noticed every one of them had blank expressions as if on a daze.

And then, they put us into pairs. I got paired with Shin nii-san. I tried talking to him but my mouth won't talk. And then… and then…" Sai stopped as he felt tears on his eyes. He sniffled and tried to stop his crying. "They… they made us kill each other. I tried to stop but my body would not respond. It was then I realized my body was being controlled. Someone else took over. I had the feeling they did the same to the other children, they too were being controlled. I tried to fight my body and move on my own but I couldn't. My inner self fell asleep and when I woke up, I was staring at Nii-san's bloody face. I did not understand what was going on. I willed my body to move so I could help him but I couldn't. And then I noticed my hands too were bloody and I was holding a kunai. I then realized I was the one who did it. I killed Shin nii-san. I killed my own brother! I wanted to cry but tears did not fall down my face. I just cried and wept inside my consciousness. I killed him… I killed my own brother!" He shouted as he put his hands on his face and began crying again.

The five people listening to him were shocked to hear his tale. Minato and Kushina moved closer and tried to console him.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I killed him… Nii-san, I'm so sorry." He whispered to himself as he curled into a ball and continued crying. Kushina's motherly instincts took over and consoled the boy while Minato helped. He was thinking hard.

 _"Danzo. You bastard. How dare you use children to do your dirty jobs? You will pay for your crimes and the people you use as puppets will turn their backs against you."_

It took more time before the boy finally calmed down.

"Sai, please tell us what happened next. We need to know. After this I promise to let you get some rest."

The boy nodded and continued.

"Hai. After that incident, we were trained. That's what we did, we just trained and trained. Three years after being taught by them, our batch had a graduating ceremony. I was top of the class and was chosen to be Danzo-sama's… I mean, Danzo's, to be one of his top personal guards. I was teamed with Foo and Torune and we did a lot of missions. I was made team captain. My skills are painting and making them come to life. Foo is a Yamanaka so he specialized in mind techniques. While Torune is from the Aburame clan so he uses bugs. He also has a kinjutsu in his body that is very lethal. Only he, the host of the lethal bugs is immune. If another person touches him or gets touched by him, the bugs will spread to that person's body and die. That is why he is heavily clothed."

When the interrogators heard of the information, one of them immediately excused himself and hurried to the other room. He prayed that nothing bad happened to the Aburame's interrogators.

"When Konoha was attacked by an unknown group, we were not there because we were outside the country on a mission. We came back two days after the attack. Everyone was sick and had diarrhea. We also found out about Danzo in a coma. So I and my team went out for a mission to look out for someone to heal Danzo. A few days ago, we were somewhere near the border when we noticed Torune's bugs acting strangely. He told us about a small amount of demonic chakra leaking out from this island so we came here to inspect. The strange chakra emitted vanished when we came here. We were only able to find small traces of it because of the bugs but slowly, it was gone. We looked around the island and found a pathway. We tried to follow it but we found ourselves surrounded and we were brought here. And then you know the rest."

"Was there anyone else at the border with you?" Asked the Uzukage.

"No one, we three were the only people there. We made sure nobody else were present when we found out about the chakra."

"Does anybody else knew you came to the border?"

"No. Mam, you do not have to worry about other people finding out about the leak. I assure you with that. Since Torune's bugs were from his kinjutsu, they are able to sense other living beings that are very far. And there was nobody else around the area that time. We also did some scouting and found that the border we came from was the only possible way and route to this island."

"I see. Thank you for the information, Sai. We will let you get rest." The Uzukage said as she bowed to the boy. She believed his story since of course, they applied a truth seal on him, and she also saw how devastated the boy was about his brother.

"Thank you. Ano, will you also help my teammates? I know they were like me. They are also being controlled."

"Of course. You may see them later. We will talk more about you later and what to do with you."

Upon hearing this, the boy panicked. "Please, no! I already told you! It wasn't me! I was being controlled! I don't wanna die!"

The Uzukage smiled and patted him. "Relax. We believe your story. You will not be punished."

Sai sighed and relief and nodded.

"Please follow the interrogator and he will lead you to a hotel room to get some rest. Upon hearing your story, you will be treated as a guest here. But you will still be kept an eye on."

"I understand. Thank you for your kindness." The boy nodded and bowed to the people in front of him. The interrogator then motioned him to follow and left the room.

The Uzukage, the Yellow Flash, and the STORM Commander left for the other two captives.

 **Uzukage Mansion**

Naruto finished his lunch and was now happily making more origami. His siblings joined him and they had a little contest on who makes the most. Konan was impressed on how Naruto quickly learned and got the hang of making origami. Under just one minute, the boy can create seven to a dozen creatures.

"Konan-chan, why aren't mine not moving?" Naruto asked as he stared at his paper foxes.

The blue haired teenager chuckled and made the foxes move.

"Woah. Awesome!" The boy squealed. "Can you teach me how to make them move?"

"Sure. But you do not know about chakra yet. You haven't started at the academy yet. I'll teach you when you have knowledge about chakra and chakra control."

Naruto pouted. "But I wanna learn now…" He did his **Puppy Eyes no Jutsu** and Konan almost fainted.

"Of course, Naruto-kun." She said as if dazed. Narumi and Miho giggled.

 _"Damn, kid's good. I guess I'll teach him something about sealing before we leave for our mission."_ Yahiko thought to himself while smiling at the boy.

 _"Maybe we should classify the_ _ **Puppy Eyes no Jutsu**_ _as an S-Rank Kinjutsu."_ Nagato chuckled. Minako and Mio were also thinking of the same thing as they watched their little brother in amusement.

Konan, Nagato, Yahiko, and Naruto's siblings agreed. They spent the afternoon explaining and teaching him about the basic concepts of chakra and how it works. They were surprised at how Naruto easily understood everything and grasped it. After that, Konan explained how she makes the origami move. They were impressed when they watched the boy concentrate and was able to make a paper fox move a bit before sending it crashing on the wall.

"Wow, Naruto-kun. That's impressive!" Narumi praised her little brother.

"But I lost control…"

"That's alright Naruto. You need more practice. But your sister is right, that was impressive. You already got it to move at your first try even when we just explained to you the basics about chakra." Konan said as she ruffled the boy's hair in affection and pride.

Everyone cheered for him feeling proud. Naruto beamed and felt very happy with their praise. He promised them he will train hard and become a great ninja someday.

"Of course. We believe in you, Naruto-kun."

The boy gave them one of his foxy grins and went back to concentrating making his paper foxes move.

Konan and her two companions decided to take their leave. They gave him some easy chakra control exercises and promised to come visit him again the next day. Yahiko promised to teach him basic sealing while Nagato promised to teach him basic jutsus. Konan promised the boy to teach him fold papers using only his chakra once he got better with control. This made Naruto more eager to train and learn.

Just then, Narumi and Minako's clones dispelled and relayed the originals information, telling them that the alert status have been put back to normal. They informed Mio and Miho of this while they sighed in relief. His siblings then excused themselves and went to their own rooms.

He was now alone in his room and decided that it was time to read the book about the Uzumaki Clan. He flipped the book to the second page as the first page had his name on it.

 _"Descendant, you are now going to discover and learn the history and secrets of our clan. The first thing that you should know is that the Uzumaki Clan prioritizes family and is very loyal. Whatever happens, we always look for each other. Should one of us require any form of assistance, we do not hesitate and help as soon as we can. Know that the world is a cruel place. We Uzumakis can only depend on each other."_

Naruto took what the book said to his heart. As an Uzumaki, he will be loyal to his clan and will prioritize his family first whatever the case. He then turned on the next page and preceded reading.

 _"Our clan has a very long history dating from the War of the Gods. We Uzumakis are the main descendants of the Sage of the Six Paths himself. Over time, the clan have experienced and been through different wars and we became the symbol for peace. We travelled the world and fought wars to keep everything in balance since our clan had been tasked to do it. If a certain group or clan disrupts the peace and balance of the world, the Hagaromo Clan must take action to stop those groups or individuals._

 _About a hundred years after the War of the Gods, the Hagaromo Clan decided to stay in one place and settled on an isolated island that is surrounded by hundreds of huge whirlpools. In order to hide from the world, the Hagaromo Clan changed its name to Uzumaki, in reference to the whirlpools around the island that we have settled. The Uzumaki Clan established its own village and thus, Uzushiogakure was born._

 _I, Mito Uzumaki, was one of the founders of this village. Due to being from the Main Branch of the Hagaromo Clan, I was selected to be its leader and was called the Shodaime Uzukage. With the Uzumakis helping each other, we were able to establish Uzushiogakure into a peaceful and thriving community. Uzushio was the very first village that was founded by a clan. The second was Konohagakure that was founded by the Senju and the Uchiha Clans, both came from the warring eras like the Uzumaki. Other villages soon followed and the Hidden Villages were born._

 _Years passed by and the First Shinobi War occurred. To the world, it was also known as the Great Shinobi War. During this time, shinobi villages fought against each other the same way shinobi fought a hundred years ago._

 _Uzushiogakure became allies with Konohagakure through marriage. I was married to Senju Hashirama, the Shodaime Hogake, who was one of the founders of Konoha. Uzushiogakure, along with Konohagakure, participated in the war. With the combined powers of the Uzumaki, the Senju, and the Uchiha, we were able to win the war._

 _Uzushiogakure decided to lay low and let Konoha take all the glory. Konoha became branded as one of the Five Great Nations along with Kumo, Iwa, Kiri, and Suna._

 _When the Second and the Third Shinobi World War broke out, the Uzumaki discreetly helped its longtime ally, Konoha. With the help of Uzushio, Konoha became victorious._

 _When my husband, Senju Hashirama died, Uzushiogakure's connection to Konohagakure weakened. Senju Tobirama, Hashirama's younger brother, became the Nidaime Hokage and tried to maintain Konoha's alliance with Uzushio strong and firm. Over time, the Uzumaki Clan felt how Konoha slowly became distant. When the Nidaime Hokage died, Sarutobi Hiruzen took the position of Sandaime. Sarutobi was the student of the Shodaime and the Nidaime. Some of my clansmen who fought alongside him during the wars felt his envy. Even though Uzushio lets Konoha take all the glory, Sarutobi could not deny the fact that the Uzumaki Clan was far stronger than both Senju and Uchiha Clan combined. He wanted to have the power that our clan had and he was very jealous. The Uzumaki Clan then became wary of this. With him as the Hokage, Konoha became more distant to Uzushio."_

 **"Heh. I knew the old monkey always felt resentment to your clan."** A voice suddenly spoke and interrupted Naruto from his reading and startled him.

"What the-? Who's there?" The boy asked, clearly frightened.

 **"Relax, Naruto-kun. It's me, Kurama."**

"Kurama? Oh. Alright." The boy said as he relaxed. "Wait, you can talk to me even though I'm not in my mindscape?"

 **"Correct. You see, when we first met, our minds connected and created a mental link. So now we can talk even though you are not inside your mindscape."**

"That's cool then." The boy grinned excitedly.

"Grrrrrrwwwwlllllrrrrllll"

"Um… Kurama-chan?"

"Grrrrrrrrrrowwwwwwwwwlllll"

"Did I say something wrong? Are you angry?"

"Grrrrrrrwwwwwwwwrrrlllrrrrrrwwww"

 **"BUWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THAT WASN'T ME! LISTEN AGAIN."**

"GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR"

 **"It's your stomach! You're hungry! Hahahahaha."**

"Hahaha yeah you're right. Hmmm, I did not notice the time. I've been reading for long and now I'm hungry."

 **"You should eat some snacks first before you continue reading."**

"Heh. You're right." The boy said as he hid the book under his pillow and exited his room. He went downstairs and noticed nobody was there. He ignored it and walked the hallway through the kitchen. He was almost near the kitchen when he heard his friend speak through his mind nervously.

 **"Naruto-kun. Wait. Stop walking."**

"Huh?" He whispered.

 **"Shhhh! Do not make any noise! I sense someone else not welcome. This one's not from the household nor your relatives. By the way, you can talk to me silently. Just speak in your mind."**

 _"Like this? Can you hear me?"_

 **"Yes. Good. I hear you. Naruto-kun. Tread carefully. This chakra…"** She trailed off as she recognized it and started growling angrily.

 _"Kurama-chan? What's wrong?"_

 **"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrhhhhh."**

The fox did not respond as it continued to growl. Before he could ask again, he heard an unfamiliar voice.

"MUWAHAHAHAHA! AT LAST! I GOT INSIDE! AND NOBODY ELSE IS AROUND!"

Naruto widened his eyes and felt his heart beat faster.

"NOW THAT THEY AREN'T HERE, IT IS TIME FOR ME TO GET YOU! YOU ARE MINE NOW! AND NOBODY'S GOING TO SAVE YOU!"

Naruto was scared now. He can also feel Kurama inside him seething in rage.

"NOW TIME TO GET THAT CABINET! MUWAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Naruto almost fell to the ground when he heard the mysterious voice laugh. He started to boil in anger although he still felt scared. A stranger broke into their house and was trying to steal their belongings.

"RAMEN! AT LAST! YOU'RE MINE!"

Naruto was not able to hear the man's last sentence as his and Kurama's emotions combined. Kurama was now sure who the voice belonged to. The boy then charged into the kitchen. NOBODY IS STEALING HIS RAMEN!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Naruto screamed at the top his lungs as he charged into the kitchen. He froze when he saw the intruder who was wearing dark blue robes and an orange mask.

 **"UCHIHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"**

"KYAAAAAAAAA! TOBI HAS BEEN SPOTTED! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Everyone inside the mansion heard the screaming and recognized Naruto's voice. They all rushed to the boy's aid and stopped when they saw the youngest heir and a masked man who was half-way slurping a bowl of ramen.

Naruto did not notice the household, his siblings, his parents, and some other jonin and STORM that was now standing behind him. He was too busy glaring at the man to notice the newcomers.

 **"You!"** The boy shouted and pointed at the masked man. His voice sounded demonic, causing everyone to gasp in shock. **"You! It was you! You were that man who attacked Kaa-chan! You were that man who tried to kill Narumi Nee-chan!"**

Everyone, especially Naruto's parents, were surprised to hear this. They of course recognized the masked man. But they have no idea how their youngest son knew of that event since he wasn't even born that time.

 **"You tried to destroy my family! And for that, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"** The boy screamed as his body became coated with red chakra. His hair became longer and looked wilder. His blue eyes turned red and his irises became slits. His whisker marks became more defined and longer. His nails grew longer and sharper and became claws. **"DIE UCHIHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"**

The boy screamed as he lunged at the masked man.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAA! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP TOBI!" The masked man screamed as he dodged the boy while hugging his bowl of ramen.

Naruto crashed on the wall but used it as a rebound and lunged at the man again trying to swipe at the masked man's face.

"THIS IS ALL A MISUNDERSTANDING! TOBI IS A GOOY BOY!"

"Naruto-kun! Please stop! He is not that man!" Arashi Uzumaki said as he tried to restrain his youngest grandson. The boy tried to escape the former Uzukage's grip but failed.

"Naruto-kun!" His mother exclaimed, clearly worried. She rushed to her son and took him from his grandfather's arms. She hugged her son tightly while she said soothing words to calm her enraged son.

"Shhhh. Calm down. It's alright. Mommy's here. Shhhh." Kushina said as she stroked her son's head. Thankfully, Naruto calmed down and his features returned back to normal. He hugged his mother back while he cried.

"Kaa-chan. It's him. It's that masked man." The boy tried to say between sobs.

"Shhhh. It's alright. Kaa-chan's here." She cooed while she glared at the masked man.

"Tobi. Or whoever you are. I want explanations. Now." She said, going Uzukage mode.

"Yes. We need to know who you really are, where you are from, and what your motives are." Minato agreed while also glaring at the man.

Tobi gulped and immediately nodded his head vigorously. "Tobi shall explain everything. Tobi is not going to lie. Because Tobi is a good boy."

"Wait, Kaa-chan. I want to hear his story too." Narumi interrupted.

"I'd like to hear it as well." Said Minako.

"Hey, don't leave us out! We'd like to hear it too!" Miho and Mio chided.

 ** _"Naruto-kun. You should tell your parents you want to hear about it as well. I need to know everything about this man, although I do not trust him."_**

"Kaa-chan. I want to hear it too." Naruto looked up to his mother while performing the **Puppy Eyes no Jutsu**.

"Of course." She said while smiling at her youngest. "Please find Kaede and tell him to wait for me at the office." The Uzukage told the STORM that was around. She then dismissed everyone while her father Arashi, Minato, and her children stayed. "Let's go to my office."

 **10 Minutes Later, Uzukage Office**

"Alright, Tobi, tell us your story." The Uzukage commanded.

"Uh-huh. Tobi would like you all to hold hands. Tobi will show you everything Tobi knows." The Uzukage raised an eyebrow and then glanced at her father who simply nodded.

"It's alright. I used the King of Hell on him the first time I met him. Tobi has my full confidence."

Tobi shuddered as he remembered the Demon Head that Arashi used to interrogate him.

"Alright." Kushina nodded as she took Naruto's hand. The rest followed suit making them form a circle.

Tobi then held out his right hand and placed it on the Uzukage's head.

 **Anime Style: Flashback no Jutsu**

 **Valley of End, Aftermath of Madara and Hashirama's Battle**

"Madara. Please don't make me kill you. You can still change. Come back to Konoha." Hashirama pleaded as he looked down on the Uchiha's broken form.

"Never!"

"Then you leave me no choice… Good bye, Madara."

 **Second Shinobi War**

"Kakashi… I haven't given you my gift yet… Here… Take my Sharingan. Use it to fight the enemies off. Take care of Rin…"

"No… Obito. Don't say that. You will live. I can't let you die…"

"Go. This cave will not last long. It will collapse soon. Good bye Kakashi, Rin. I have done my duties as a shinobi of the leaf. Now I can die in peace…"

Obito's teammates watched him sadly as they could not lift the huge slab of rock that pinned the left half of the young Uchiha's body. Rin did the operation and transplanted Obito's right eye to Kakashi. Kakashi and Rin reluctantly left their teammate as the cave began to collapse.

Obito closed his eyes and waited for his death to come. He waited… And waited. But it never came. He opened his eyes and saw a black and white creature that looked like a plant holding the cave's roof keeping it from collapsing. He then noticed an old man who was trying to remove the rock that was on top of his body. He was surprised when the old man easily destroyed the rock and carefully dragged him away. The boy tried to feel and move the left side of his body but could not as it was already crushed. He only felt a huge bolt of pain when he tried to move.

"Do not move. You will only get hurt more." The Old man said.

The last thing that he saw before he lost consciousness due to the strain caused on his body was a pair of red eyes.

Obito woke up feeling heavy yet light at the same time. He tried moving and was surprised to feel his left side.

 _"I can feel my whole body again… Am I dead?"_ He thought as he opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings.

"So you're finally awake." An old voice said.

"Wha-? Oh. I'm alive?"

"Of course, young one."

"Wait, you are that man who saved me."

"Correct. I'm glad you remembered immediately even though you were unconscious for a week."

"A week? What did you do? What's this?" Obito asked as he examined his body.

 **"That would be our work."** Said another voice. The young Uchiha almost snapped his neck when he immediately turned around and saw the plant man creature that held the cave earlier.

"You can talk?"

"What do you mean 'we'?" The plant creature asked itself. "Of course. You should be thankful, it was I who supplied the cells that were used to replace your broken other half."

Obito grimaced as he inspected his new half part. It looked like whitish. Otherwise it felt fine.

"What are you?"

 **"An experiment. Lord Madara created us."**

"What do you mean us?"

"You see my other personality here? Look, we're two. I'm the white one, the good one. My other half, the black half, is the evil one."

 **"Don't fuck with the kid. You are just evil like me."**

"Pffft. I am not THAT evil."

"Okay, okay. I get it. So what are you?"

 **"I already told you. An experiment. Lord Madara created us."**

"Madara?"

"Yes, young one." Said the old man.

"Wait, you too have a Sharingan… You're…"

"Correct. I do have the Sharingan."

"You can't be Madara Uchiha, can you…?"

"Heh. Correct again, young one."

"But… How? You're supposed to be dead. You are the same age as the Shodaime Hokage and he's dead…"

"I am, yes. But that fool spared me after our fight at the Valley of End. And now look, I'm still alive and he is dead."

"Wow. You're very old…"

"I am, young one. Although I must say my time is nearing. I was only able to live this long because of Zetsu."

"Zetsu?"

 **"That's us."**

"Oh."

"You see, young one, I created Zetsu with my DNA and Hashirama's DNA."

"That sounds complicated."

"Haha! It does. But never mind that. Now that you are awake, I must begin your training and teach you everything I know before I pass away. You will be my successor, young one. You will be the one to carry my will."

And so Madara Uchiha taught Obito everything. He passed on his will to him. His hatred to Konoha, his hatred to Uzushiogakure, and his hatred to the world. He told him of his plans to make the world bow down to the mighty Uchiha Clan.

 **Flashback End**

Tobi removed his hand from Kushina's head and let everyone digest what they have seen.

"So Obito was alive after all..." Minato whispered to himself.

"And Madara. I didn't know grandfather spared him." Arashi said as he just saw the memory for the first time.

"Now that you have seen that…" Tobi said as he slowly put up his right hand and touched his mask. He removed it and everyone was stunned when they saw his face.

"O-Obito?" Minato gasped.

"No. It is I, Tobi. Tobi is a good boy. Do you remember Zetsu?"

Everyone simply nodded dumbly at him.

"Because of the Zetsu's cells used to create Obito's other half, another personality caused it to developed overtime. Like Zetsu, he had a dark and good side. Obito is a bad boy. Tobi is a good boy.

Tobi's other half split from Obito's other half. Obito doesn't know. Nor does Zetsu. Tobi hid from the shadows and watched everything the bad boy did.

Tobi watched when the bad boy set the Kyuubi to attack Uzushiogakure and Konohagakure."

"Wait, so you're saying it was Obito who did it?"

"Yes. You see, Madara passed on everything to Obito. He specifically tasked him to destroy Uzushiogakure and Konohagakure someday. Tobi felt sad because Obito did bad things. So Tobi decided to go away from Obito so Tobi will be safe from harm if he ever finds out Tobi exists. Tobi decided to leave after the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha. Tobi travelled the world secretly and became a good boy. Tobi helped everyone in need but in secret. When Tobi heard about the Allied Kumo, Iwa, and Kiri Forces, Tobi immediately set off and warn Uzushiogakure of the danger. Tobi was able to arrive in time to inform the former Uzukage. Tobi was successful in saving Uzushiogakure! Because Tobi is a good boy!" He said while clapping at himself excitedly.

"So that was you? You were the one who gave the warning…" Kushina asked.

"Yes!" Tob squealed in excitement.

Everyone was silent for a few minutes. Even Kurama who was listening, she remained silent.

"Thank you, Tobi. We owe Uzushiogakure's existence to you."

"No, ma'am, you do not have to thank Tobi. Because Tobi is a good boy. And Tobi knows the Uzumaki Clan is strong. You would still have survived."

"Yes, we know that. But still, with your help, there were only few casualties. And the damage on the city was very small."

"Tobi appreciates your acknowledgments. Tobi is a good boy." Everyone smiled when he said this.

 ** _"Heh. Yes, you are."_** Kurama chuckled through Naruto's mind. **_"Poor guy. He must have hit his head hard by something."_**

"Why do you talk like that?" Naruto suddenly asked.

"Tobi talks like this, yes. Because Tobi is a good boy."

"Kurama-chan asked if you hit your head with something…" Naruto muttered. Everyone raised their eyebrows wondering who Kurama was.

"Hehehe. No, Tobi did not hit his head. You see, Tobi is childish. While Obito is mature."

"Oh… Anyway, I'm sorry for attacking you earlier." Everyone smiled when they heard this. Especially Kushina who was happy that her son knew how to apologize to others.

"Forgive me as well for attacking you, Tobi. I thought you were Obito." Minato apologized.

"Pardon me as well. I did not treat you good." The Uzukage said.

"It is alright. Tobi understands. Because Tobi is a good boy!" He said cheerfully.

Just then, Naruto dropped to the ground unconscious. Causing everyone to jump in panic. Even Kurama freaked out in her cage.

"NARUTO-KUN!" His family shouted as they rushed to him.

"Grrrrrrrrrrrooooooowwwwwwwwwwllllllllll"

"My baby!" Kushina said as she hugged her son. "What's happening?"

"Grrrrrrrrrrooooooooooooowllllllllll"

"Kaa-chan… I'm starving…" Naruto cried out. "I'm so weak… I need ramen… Ramen… Ughh."

Everyone sighed in relief while some laughed. Tobi offered the boy his bowl of ramen and fed him. The boy started to regain consciousness as he ate spoonfuls of ramen.

"Come now, everyone. Let's go back to the mansion and have dinner. Tobi, please join us." Kushina said as she released the privacy seals she placed on the office. They marched back to the office so Naruto could finally have his meal. Kushina and Minato decided to ask Naruto later about Kurama and how did he knew about Narumi's near death experience.

 **Chapter Six End**

 **Omake**

"Now that you have seen that…" Tobi said as he slowly put up his right hand and touched his mask. He removed it and everyone was stunned when they saw his face.

"O-Obito?" Minato gasped.

"No. It is I, Tobi. Tobi is a good boy. Do you remember Zetsu?"

Everyone simply nodded dumbly at him.

"Because of the Zetsu's cells used to create Obito's other half, another personality caused it to developed overtime. Like Zetsu, he had a dark and good side. Obito is a bad boy. Tobi is a good boy.

Tobi's other half split from Obito's other half. Obito doesn't know. Nor does Zetsu. Tobi hid from the shadows and watched everything the bad boy did.

Tobi watched when the bad boy set the Kyuubi to attack Uzushiogakure and Konohagakure."

"Wait, so you're saying it was Obito who did it?"

"Yes. You see, Madara passed on everything to Obito. He specifically tasked him to destroy Uzushiogakure and Konohagakure someday. You see, Madara was jealous because Hashirama married Mito. He cannot accept the fact the his childhood crush chose Mito, an Uzumaki, over him, an Uchiha Elite. That is why he wanted to destroy both villages."

"Wow. I did not know Madara was homo." Arashi commented.

 **Afterlife**

"Hashirama-kun!" A voice said while Hashirama and Mito turned and stared at the newcomer.

"Madara?" The husband and wife asked.

"I'm finally dead! Now we can be together again!" Madara squealed as he jumped at Hashirama and hugged him. "I missed you so much! I know you love me because you didn't choose to kill me!"

"Ehem. What are you talking about Madara?" Mito asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Eh?" He stopped hugging Hashirama and looked at the woman. "You! You stole my Hashirama-kun from me!"

Mito's eyebrows twitched while she looked at her husband. "Hashirama-kun, what is the meaning of this?" She asked too sweetly.

"Eh? Mito-chan. I can explain..." Hashirama stuttered nervously.

 **Omake End**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **1\. Read and Review! Review! And review some more! :) :D**

 **2\. Thank you guys for the continued support. Please expect Chapter 7 within 10 days.**


	7. Chapter 7: Outcasts and Orphans

**JRL: I HOPE THIS IS FIXED ALREADY. THIS IS MY THIRD UPLOAD. I DO NOT KNOW WHY IT CHANGES TO CODED FORMAT.**

 **Anyway, Here's Chapter Seven for you guys. Midterms are almost over. Exams are coming this week. After that I'll be able to return to my normal pace of typing... I hope...**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO.**

 **Chapter Seven: Outcasts and Orphans**

 **Uzushiogakure Streets**

Sai was walking around the village with his teammates Torune and Fu, who were released an hour after he was released. They spent the night at the guest hotel with STORM watching over them. They were discussing about their lives, what could have happened if they were not kidnapped by Danzo.

Sai told his teammates that he was an orphan and had a brother whom he was forced to kill. He told them that the Yondaime Hokage planned on adopting him and his brother Shin before he died. Sai loved painting and drawing. It was his passion that he took after his brother. During his spare time he would draw and paint but could not think of a title. When the seal was removed, his works improved and he started to think of titles for his art. His art was also his weapon in battle. With a brush, ink, and a scroll, he could draw various creatures to assist or fight for him in battle.

Torune then told his teammates that he was an outcast from the Aburame Clan. He also had no parents. When he was younger, he accidentally killed his parents because of his lethal bugs who started living on his body when he reached the age of three. When his clan found about it, they decided to punish him by banishment from the clan instead of death as the death of his parents were only an accident.

Foo on the other hand was from the Yamanaka Clan but was also made an outcast. The clan head, Inoichi, decided to offer him to Danzo. He had no other special abilities. Just the same mind reading jutsu of his clan. Although he later found out that he was good at kenjutsu.

The three noticed that most of the villagers were giving them odd looks, while some of them openly glared. They later realized that it was because they were from Konoha. They removed their hitai-ates but it was already too late. That villagers have seen it. They could not blame them as they knew about Konoha's betrayal to Uzushio. Sai, being one of the top ranking ROOT ANBU, had privileges to read all high classified mission. When he read about Uzushio's supposed downfall, he told his teammates about it. His teammates just had more reason to hate Konoha when Said told them about it. They were already thinking of staying in Uzushio and applying there as inhabitants. Here they could continue being a shinobi and this time they will be able to do everything at their own will.

"If we join Uzushio, what about ROOT?" Asked Torune.

"You can't be really thinking of going back, are you?" Replied Foo.

"No. Of course not. I was just thinking of our other batch mates. They too were being controlled."

"Hmmm. Maybe we could ask the Uzukage for help." Said Sai.

"Yeah. She seems like a fair person. So we are going to apply as Uzushio Citizens and then ask for a mission to help other controlled ROOT members?" Torune said.

"That's pretty much it. I wonder if the other people who placed the seals on us are simply being controlled too." Foo mused.

"It's possible." Agreed Sai. "Alright. Let's go back to the hotel and think of how we're going to convince the Uzukage to let us stay here."

The other two nodded and they headed back to their hotel.

 **Uzukage Mansion**

"Hello, Naruto-kun. How are you doing?" Kushina asked as she entered her youngest son's room. Minato followed inside and closed the door

"Kaa-chan. Tou-chan. I'm doing well. Konan-chan taught me origami. Look! I can make foxes. I'm trying to make them move. Nagato-san, Yahiko-san, and Konan-chan taught me about chakra with the help of Nii-san and Nee-chan. They also taught me some basic chakra exercises so I could make my origami move."

"That's wonderful Naruto-kun." She said as she ruffled her son's hair, feeling proud.

"You really are a fast learner. I'm proud of you son. We have decided to teach you basic stuff that are taught in the academy so you could catch up. In a few weeks the next term will start and you could join the academy." Minato said while beaming.

"Wow! I can't wait!" Exclaimed Naruto.

"Ummm, Naruto-kun? We would like to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind."

"Huh? Hmmm, 'kay. What is it, Kaa-chan, Tou-chan?"

"Naruto-kun… How did you know about Narumi-chan's near death experience? And who is this Kurama-chan?"

The boy in question looked at his parents with fear. What if they get angry?

Kushina, seeing her son's worried look, tried to comfort her son. "Naru-chan, we are not angry. Your Tou-san and I were simply curious. We are also worried of you. We've being hearing you talking to someone we cannot see. Please, tell us baby."

 ** _"Naruto-kun. Tell them. And then I'll show them the memories too to make it easier to explain. Tell them from the day you discovered you are a jinchuuriki."_**

"Alright, Kurama-chan. I'll tell them…" Naruto muttered while his parents waited.

"Kaa-chan, Tou-chan, it started on the day I found out I was the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko..." He then told his parents everything from the books he was reading about the shinobi wars that made him curious about the Uzumaki Clan and the Rinnegan up to the point where he met Tobi sneaking into the kitchen.

He then held out both his hands and stared at his parents, silently asking them if it is alright for him to touch their heads. His parents looked at him questioningly at first but agreed. Naruto then held his parents heads as if he was praying for them as he closed his eyes. With the connection to the boy's parents now linked, Kurama channeled her chakra and shared the same memories she showed Naruto. She also showed the memory when she and Naruto first met. Excluding the part where Naruto fainted because she was naked.

After she showed the memories, Naruto removed his hands from his parents' heads. The boy's parents looked dumbfounded and were silent for a few minutes, trying to digest everything that were shown to them.

"I-I can't believe it… The person whom I considered as my own brother… put me under a genjutsu and made me seal a demon into my own son…" Minato said while his voice cracked. He looked at his son with mixed emotions. He suddenly grabbed the boy into a hug while tears fell down his eyes. "Naruto-kun. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault…"

The boy returned the hug and patted his father's back. "Tou-chan, it is alright. I'm no longer angry at you. I understand why you sealed Kurama-chan inside me. I do no blame you for every bad thing that's happened to me."

Minato then nodded and chuckled at the affectionate name his son called the Kyuubi. "Kurama-chan, huh?"

"Heh. I never thought the Kyuubi was a female." Kushina murmured. "Hey, Kurama! Are you listening? Why talk to my son while you never talked to me? I'm quite offended." She half-joked as she put a hand into her chest as if feeling hurt.

"Kurama-chan said that your seal was different from mine. While she was inside you and Mito obaa-chan, the seal was so strong and all of her chakra was sealed away, while my seal lets a small percentage of Kurama's chakra combine with mine, letting her connect to me." Naruto said.

"Hmmmph. Anyway, Kurama, we thank you for taking care of Naruto. We thank you for keeping him alive."

"Kurama-chan says it is no problem. Since she considers me as family."

"Thank you." Minato and Kushina both said.

Kushina then changed the subject as she noticed the book that was half hidden under Naruto's pillow.

"So, Naru-chan, what have you read so far?" She said indicating at the book.

"Oh. I was only able to read our clan's history with Konoha. That's where I stopped to have something to eat and met Tobi-san."

"You really are amazing, Naruto-kun. As a parent, I'm proud that you're very interested learning a lot of things even at your young age. You do remind me of Karin. She's just the same as you, too curious about everything."

"Karin… Hmmm, I remember seeing her name. She was the last person who signed the book before I did."

"Yes. It was I who assisted her when she wanted to learn about our clan. I do believe you'll meet her when you go to the academy."

"I can't wait to see her. How does she look like?"

"Why, Naruto kun! Are you interested in her?" Minato joked.

"Tou-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan. You are just like Nee-chan and Nii-san." Naruto whined.

"Well, Naruto-kun. She's cute. She wears glasses. While your eyes are blue hers are a pinkish red. I'm sure you'll like her. And she will definitely like you too. You're just the same." Kushina said.

"Ka-chaaaaaaaaaan. Not you too." The boy pouted while his parents chuckled at their son's reaction. Minato ruffled his son's hair while Kushina picked the boy up.

"Come on, Naruto-kun. Let's have something to eat."

"Yay! Ramen!"

 **Konohagakure**

It had been almost a week since their village was attacked. Surprisingly, no more attacks followed. Not even minor villages or some bandits or thugs dared. They probably heard about the Konoha villagers' disease and were afraid of getting infected so they wisely kept themselves away from the village. The effects of the laxatives have finally started to wear off. Although they are still feeling weak, they were thankful as the epidemic had finally come to an end. The Hokage had ordered everyone to begin working for the village's repairs and cleaning.

 **Hyuuga Clan Main House Mansion**

The Hyuuga elders along with the current head, Hiashi, was currently in a meeting. They just finished discussing about the mysterious attackers and were now talking about their own clan's problems.

"Hinata is too weak. She is too gentle. She doesn't show the characteristics of a future clan head." One of the elders said.

"Yes, she is. Also, have you noticed her eyes? It's as if she doesn't have the Byakugan." Another one said.

"I have noticed that. I've been also thinking of making Hanabi my successor instead." Hiashi said.

"But that's unfair. Hinata's the rightful heir." One of them defended.

"Yes, I agree that's quite unfair." Another one said.

"How about we make her fight against a branch member? If she wins then we will consider keeping her as heir. If she losses then we make Hanabi as your successor instead. Hinata will be branded with the caged bird seal and will be given to the Branch House." Hiashi's father suggested.

Everyone was silent while they thought of the condition. As someone from the Main House, there was no doubt that Hinata would lose. The Branch House had less opportunities and were only taught weaker versions of the Main's techniques.

"Alright then. Let us vote." Everyone nodded as they made their decision. In the end, it was a unanimous result. Hinata would fight a branch member. If she loses, she will be branded with the caged bird seal and will be transferred to the Branch Family. If she wins, she keeps her title as heiress of the Hyuuga Clan.

"Who is she going to fight?" One of the elders asked.

"Hizashi's son, Neji, will be Hinata's opponent." Hiashi said.

"I see. So when are they going to fight?"

"Let the village recuperate first. We will schedule the match in two days. Have both fighters prepare for their battle starting today so that they will be ready."

"If that's so, then let us call this meeting adjourned. I shall go now and inform Hanabi that she will be heir."

"Why, Hiashi-san, the result of the match has not even decided yet. We still do not know who's going to win."

"My daughter of a weakling is no match against Neji." Hiashi replied coldly as he stood up and left the room. Everyone followed suit and left the room, going to their own business to do.

 **Uchiha Clan Compound**

A certain raven haired boy could be seen running on the compound's streets. He just got back from the training grounds, training by himself as his brother was too busy for him.

"Kaa-chan!" The boy said as he stopped and entered their house. "I'm home! I've done some training!" He said excitedly as he removed his shoes and went to the living room.

"Sasuke-kun, look at you. You're so dirty. And your clothes! Why are they singed?" His mother said as she fussed over her son.

"I've been trying to do the Fireball Jutsu." Sasuke grinned proudly.

"Heh. You will never catch up to me. While you are learning the Fireball jutsu, I'll be learning a new stronger technique." A new voice said.

"Now, now, Sasame-chan. No need to say that to your brother. Why don't you teach him and help him with his training?" Their mother said as she got Sasuke fresh clothes to wear.

"Hn." Sasame just scoffed while Sasuke stared at his sister. She and he were actually twins. Sasame was six minutes older than him. Although they were twins, they were strongly different and were opposite. Sasuke was a very kind and considerate boy while his twin was an arrogant bitch and has a superiority complex. Just like everybody else in the clan. He figured that maybe everyone, save him, were all stuck up arrogant pricks. Sasame was just like their brother, Itachi. She too was also a prodigy, while Sasuke was always trying hard to catch up to his siblings. Although he still kept positive and cheerful even though his father doesn't approve of him, only seeing him as a weakling. So he constantly asked his siblings to train with him but to no avail. Itachi was too busy with his ANBU duties while his twin sister was too selfish. Realizing no one's going to help him with his training, he had gone off to the Uchiha Clan's library and began studying all by himself. He had decided to train by himself to impress his family. His mother, Mikoto, had been worried about him and offered him help. He politely refused stating that he needed to learn things on his own so that they would be proud of him.

Mikoto returned and handed her son a set of fresh clothes. "Go and change. Lunch will be ready. Your father and your brother will be arriving soon. Sasame, you help me prepare the table."

Sasuke nodded as he took the clothes and went to change. Soon the door opened and Fugaku entered the house followed by Itachi.

"Tou-chan! Nii-san!" Sasame greeted excitedly.

Fugaku smiled warmly at his daughter and ruffled her hair affectionately.

"How's your training?" He asked.

"It's great, tou-chan. I'm almost fnished with the Phoenix Jutsu."

"That's great! I'm so proud of you, my daughter."

Sasuke returned to the dining room and heard his father and his twin's interaction. He felt sad and jealous as his father never praised him. He never addressed him as his son. His father told him to address him as Tou-sama while Sasame was free to call him Tou-chan or whatever she wanted to. He sadly pulled out a chair and sat down. Mikoto did not notice her youngest son's expression as she was busy preparing their meal. Itachi sat next to him and he was surprised when he was greeted by him.

"Hello, Sasuke." The ANBU said, startling the boy. "How are you doing?"

The boy felt happy and his spirits lifted up as his brother and idol inquired about him.

"I'm doing fine, Itachi Nii-san! I can almost do the Fireball jutsu!" Sasuke said while beaming proudly.

The elder brother smiled at his brother for a moment.

"That's good Sasuke. But you will never be as good as your sister. You are a failure and a weakling. Remember that." Itachi said making the boy frown and bow his head feeling heartbroken. His brother just insulted him. Again.

 _"Why are you like that, Nii-san? You are slowly becoming like father. Why do you always approve of Sasame while you ignore and degrade me?"_ Sasuke sadly thought as his vision became blurry, tears started to form, threatening to fall down.

"Aaaaaaaawww. Ish zhe little Sashuke cwying?" Sasame teased as she heard her older brother insult her twin.

"I will not have a crying weakling inside this house!" Fugaku roared angrily.

Mikoto came to her youngest son to comfort him as Sasuke was now openly crying. Her husband got angrier and told her to leave the boy be. She reluctantly released her son from her arms and sat beside him as they ate their lunch. They sat in silence for a few minutes as they ate their food. As their stomachs slowly got filled, Itachi spoke.

"I still haven't seen IT, father."

"How disappointing. The demon has gone away missing from our radar."

"It would seem that its stealth skills have improved. I'll have more ANBU look for it and double the efforts."

"That demon brat must be found before the Hokage-sama starts to realize its absence. If he does, the Uchiha Clan would be more likely scorned by those damned elders if they were awake."

"If we lose Konoha's only jinchuuriki and the other nations find about it, we will be in great danger. The demon brat must be found immediately." Mikoto butted in.

Sasuke, meanwhile was listening to the conversation as he silently ate. He was quite surprised when he heard his mother say the word "demon brat". Sasuke knew who his family was talking about. He had seen the blonde boy, whom the villagers called the demon brat, a couple of times getting chased and beaten by the villagers. Sasuke never saw the blonde as the demon, he only saw a poor, scared, and a lonely child who wanted and needed some love. He felt sorry for the boy as he saw himself in him. Like him, he just wanted to be accepted and be treated as a person. Sasuke actually wanted to be friends with the boy but he never got the chance. He had asked his brother Itachi about him and asked why everyone treated him bad, he also told his brother that he felt sorry for the boy. When his twin found out about Sasuke feeling sympathy for the "demon brat", she immediately told their parents and Sasuke got a beating from his father and a long scolding from his mother. Sasame teased him and called him a "demon lover." After that day, he never asked anyone about the blonde boy again. Although he still felt sympathy for the boy and wished that he could help him defeat the mobs if he could only do the Fireball Jutsu. When he heard his brother and his parents talking about him going missing, he somewhat felt happy for the blonde as he knew that nobody from Konoha could harm him anymore. Now he could only pray and hope that the whiskered boy, wherever he was, was safe from any kind of harm.

 **Takigakure**

A girl with green hair and orange eyes could be seen running in the streets. She was escaping from a huge mob who was trying to kill her. To her, this was normal as she got used to the villagers hating her and trying to murder her.

"Girl, this way! Quickly! Before they see us!" A voice whispered.

The girl listened to the voice and followed. She turned to a narrow passageway and saw four masked people waiting for her.

"Quick! Here, use this!" One of them who sounded feminine said as she passed her a cloak.

The girl took it and quickly draped it over her. The four unknown people motioned for her to follow. They ran for about fifteen minutes and ended up in a clearing deep inside the village's outer forests.

"Here." The female said as she passed the girl a bottle of water.

"Thanks." She said as she quickly drained the bottle and asked for more. The masked female passed her another bottle while she gratefully took it.

"Are you alright?" One of them asked.

"Yes. Thank you." The green haired girl said. "Why did you save me?"

"What? What kind of question is that?"

"Why did you save me? Everybody here in the village hates me."

"We know about that. That is why we saved you. We are not from here. Our leader heard about how Takigakure treated you and decided to save you. So here we are."

 ** _"She's telling the truth. I feel no deception. You can trust them."_** A voice spoke in the girl's mind.

"You know about me?"

"Yes."

"You guys know exactly why the people hate me?"

"Yes."

"Wow. And you are not afraid of me going on a rampage and start killing you off for no apparent reason? You do not hate me?"

"Of course not. You see, the village we came from accepts people like you. We treat _your kind_ as heroes for keeping _them_ at bay."

"Are you guys from Kumo?"

"No."

"But you said you do not scorn people like me."

"We do not, yes. We're sorry, but we cannot tell you of our origin. But we assure you that we mean you no harm. We'd like you to come with us. You've seen how the people treated you here."

 ** _"Come with them, Fu. You will be safe with them."_**

"Alright then. I'm coming with you."

"We will stay here for the night. We leave tomorrow. We'll create a blood clone of you to send it to the village so they will not get suspicious."

"So that's just your mission? To take me with you?"

The leader of the group raised an eyebrow, although the green haired girl could not see it. "Yes. Is there anything else you'd like us to do?"

"Well, yeah. I kind of thought you might want something else from Takigakure aside from me. I mean, there's classified information, jutsus owned by this village, and some other useful stuff that can be used against them in the future."

"Well, our task was to find you and take you with us. We cannot do anything else aside it."

"Yeah, I know that. I have a proposition for you then, which both ends will actually benefit your village, the way I see it."

"And what is that?"

"I will come with you. But, before I do, you will help me steal Taki's most prized possessions and kinjutsus… Including the Hero's Water." She said. The four STORM got silent. She continued. "I know where those stuff are located. Also, the Hero's Water, I believe, will be ready for harvest tomorrow after its hundred year cooldown. I'll lead you to the place where Taki keeps the gathered Hero's Water as well."

The green haired jinchuuriki's rescuers widened their eyes upon hearing the girl's request. They were silent as they thought of the consequences if they agreed to it. The four talked to themselves.

"Well, damn. It is a good offer."

"Well, yes. We're talking about acquiring classified information here."

"Plus we're having Taki's most prized jutsus."

"And the Hero's Water too…"

"Well, it is part of the girl's deal. We take them, the girl comes with us, and our mission gets completed."

"The Uzukage will be pleased."

"Alright. We agree to her deal."

"Alright."

They agreed and they all turned to the Nanabi Jinchuuriki. The leader spoke.

"Alright. We will do it. We will take this village's most prized possessions and forbidden techniques including the Hero's Water."

"Yes. I'll help you collect them."

"We prepare today. We'll take everything we need tomorrow and leave immediately once we have what we want."

"By the way, what is your name?"

"My name's Fu. Although I do not have a surname. I'm an orphan."

"We understand that. Most people who are like you lived in isolation. But do not worry, once we get you out of here, you will have your family to call."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Fu. Now, let us make plans."

 **Sunagakure**

A red haired boy could be seen on the balcony of the Kazekage's Mansion. He was currently reminiscing the events that he have experienced in his life.

Gaara was a very kind boy. He liked to help those who were in need without asking anything for return. All he ever wanted was to make a lot of friends since he really have no one to call as a friend. He never understood why those people he was trying to help were very afraid of him.

The first time he experienced a weird incident was that time when he tried to help capture a boy's pet eagle that escaped its cage. As he was trying to reach for the bird that perched on a roof, the eagle started attacking him viscously. He felt too scared as he was only three by then. He tried to cover his face from getting scratched. And then he blacked out. To everyone's surprise who were watching, a huge arm made out of sand suddenly came out from his right arm and caught the bird. The sand arm then began squeezing the bird and suddenly closed its hand, crushing the eagle, and splattering some blood and feathers. The boy who was the owner of the bird along with his family were watching the incident. They started to bolt away from the red haired boy in fear. A few moments later Gaara regained consciousness and found himself alone. He looked around and noticed his right arm was bloody. He panicked as he saw his bloody right arm and began to cry.

There was also this incident when he was four, he went to the playground to play with the other kids there and make friends. But the story about him crushing an eagle was known to most children. When the other children saw him, they ran away in fear. Gaara then was left alone feeling miserable. He took a seat in one of the swings and began to cry. As he was busy crying, he did not notice two masked people approach him, both carrying kunais. Gaara looked up in time and saw a masked man swing a kunai at him. His body froze in fear and was not able to move. His mind went blank. When he regained consciousness, he was confused to find two huge pools of blood. He also noticed that his face and his clothes have blood splatters. He ran back to his home to look for his siblings for help.

Gaara's older siblings, Temari and Kankuro, watched their baby brother lean in the balcony in silence. Ever since Gaara was born, there had been assassination attempts on him. Temari and Kankuro eventually found out that it was their father who kept on sending assassins after their little brother. They considered confronting their father about it but decided not to. They simply agreed to themselves to keep their little brother from harm. They loved him and did their best to protect him and help him deal with his problems. Although Gaara started to become a little distant when he reached the age of five.

On his fifth birthday, he met the Shukaku for the first time in his mindscape. The Shukaku then tried to convince him that it was his mother. The Shukaku told him that it was "she" was the one responsible for him staying alive after numerous attempts on his life. It also told him that it was his father who wanted him dead. Gaara then believed his "mother". Since then, they had a mental link and his "mother" would constantly talk to him. Although he was scared because seven months after they met, most of the time she would just scream in his head and tell him to kill everyone who does him bad. It was his kind and loving nature that helped him keep his sanity and kept him from going into a murder spree. He was starting to doubt of the Shukaku and thought if it really was his mother. Thankfully, he heard about the Uzukage wanting him to stay at Uzushio. He was told that he will stay there for at least five years, along with his siblings. He was excited at the prospect of having friends and a new environment where people would not hate him or be afraid of him. He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard movement. His sand armor immediately went up and got ready for a fight.

"Woah, calm down, Otouto. It's just us." Kankuro said while raising his hands into a surrender.

"Oh. Forgive me, Nii-san, Nee-chan. I got startled." Gaara said while bowing.

"It is alright, Gaara-kun." Temari said as she reached out for her little brother and hugged him. "So what have you been thinking of lately? You seemed so silent. Has the Shukaku been bothering you?"

"I was just thinking of our trip to Uzusihogakure. The Uzukage said that her son is just like me. I can't wait to see him and become friends."

Temari and Kankuro smiled upon hearing him. "Do not worry, I'm sure you will be great friends."

"Yeah. So when are we leaving? I want to get out of this place already. Shukaku's starting to give me headaches. She's been talking to me nonstop about murdering people."

"Don't worry, Gaara-kun. We will be leaving in three days. Just hold her off for now, okay?" Kankuro said as he ruffled his little brother's hair.

"Okay." Gaara replied, smiling at his siblings. The Uzukage secretly talked to him and his siblings and told them that they planned to fix Gaara's seal so that he will be able to interact more with people without the Shukaku screaming in his head for bloody murder.

The siblings then went back inside the mansion to have lunch.

 **Uzushiogakure, Council Meeting**

"Uzukage-sama, I and my friends offer you our undying loyalty. We would like for your approval to let us join your ranks. Also, under your watch, we would like to come back to Konoha to free our comrades. We strongly believe that they will be a good addition to Uzushiogakure's forces. We intend on making up a story to make most of the ROOT members come to an agreed location where you will be waiting so that you could subdue them and remove their seals. We will help on persuading them to join your cause." Sai said as he and his two companions bowed their heads to the council.

The council members along with the Uzukage, Minato, and Kaede talked to themselves. These council members mostly came from clans that did not originate from Uzushio. Most of the clan heads came from various Shinobi Villages and hid themselves from their original villages. They repopulated with the other clan members that also came from another village making their offspring the ultimate juggernauts. Their great grandchildren have now multi bloodlines and they secretly work for Uzushiogakure while they are hidden in the shadows of their great grandparents' former villages, keeping a watchful eye. The council members' group are unknown and only the Uzukage and the former Uzukages knew about their ancestry. **(Author's Note: Thanks and credits to Like A Pro for the idea for the council members)**

After about ten minutes of talking, they have agreed to let Sai, Torune, and Foo to join Uzushiogakure's Forces and will be under probation for a month as genins. If they pass, they will be inducted to the academy and will learn of Uzushiogakure's teachings for six months. After they are taught, they will graduate and will be promoted to the rank of chunin. Then they will be finally allowed to return to Konoha and have the remaining ROOT ANBU members go to an agreed location where they will be ambushed and have their seals removed. If the freed person chooses to join Uzushiogakure, they will undergo the same process as the first three, Sai, Torune, and Foo, had. Otherwise, if they chose not to join Uzushiogakure and remain loyal to Konoha, they will be executed.

"We thank you for your kindness Uzukage-sama, Yondaime-sama. We swear that we will do whatever we can to help Uzushiogakure and to return the favor you have given us." The three former ROOT members said as they bowed their heads in gratitude.

"Welcome to Uzushiogakure, Sai, Torune, Foo. Please follow Kaede and he will lead you outside. You will be given a whole month of free time. Do as you wish." The Uzukage said as she raised her hand, ending the council meeting.

"Please follow me." The STORM Commander said as they got out of the room. "Here are your passess. This will let the villagers know that you are on probation. This will also be your ticket to be able to buy something from shops. Just present it to them at the counter. Enjoy your stay. I hope that you will prove to be a great addition to Uzushiogakure's forces after a month."

"Thank you, Kaede-sama. We'll take our leave." The three said as they took their passes and bowed. Kaede sunshined to the STORM HQ as the three walked away.

 **Uzukage's Mansion, Naruto's Room**

 _"The Uzumaki Clan are known to the world as Fuinjutsu Masters. They feared us because of our efficiency with it. A Fuin Master who is a non-Uzumaki are only at an adept level compared to an Uzumaki. This is why our clan's hailed as Fuinjutsu Masters."_

 _"Sealing is just one of our basic abilities."_

 _"One of our secrets is the Rinnegan. Nobody else from Uzushiogakure knew about our Sacred Dojutsu. Those who came from different villages that have encountered the Samsara Eyes have died in battle."_

Naruto skipped the Rinnegan part as he have already read its info from another book. He scanned to the next chapter and read something about another secret.

 _"Chiton, or also known as Blood Release, is another secret of the Uzumaki Clan. This is considered as kinjutsu as it requires blood sacrifice from the user. The Chiton is one of the Ancient Jutsus that were used during the time of the Sage, where royal creatures known as Vampires were at large. It had been passed down to the Hagaromo Clan and until now, we Uzumakis use it."_

 _"Most Chiton jutsus have been used along with the art of Fuin. Seals become more deadly with the aid of Chiton. While other non-fuin jutsus are blood controlled, these techniques could be used to control the bodies of the enemies, use another person's blood to heal the user, or use it for rituals such as summoning."_

Naruto turned to the next page and read some of the strongest Chiton Jutsus. On the very first paragraph of the page, there was a warning.

 _"Descendant, it is highly required that you should become a Jonin first before you begin practicing the art of Blood Relase."_

 _"Blood Bending – Allows the user to control another body of a living creature. The user becomes technically a puppeteer as he could will the victim to move and make it do whatever the user pleases. He could also use the blood to run into different directions at high speeds and make the body of the victim explode. To be able to perform Blood Bending, the user must be a proficient Suiton user first as blood is technically also liquid but denser than water."_

 _"Vampire's Bite – Allows the user to suck the victim's blood turning it into positive chemicals that heal the user and also replenish chakra."_

 _"Vampire's Seduction – The victim becomes devoted to the user for an amount of time, depending on the amount of blood the victim intakes from the user. The user has to feed the victim more blood if the user wishes to prolong the "Seduction"."_

 _"Blood Summoning – Allows the user to summon creatures such as Gargoyles and Bats to aid them in battle or other situations. Those under the effect of the Vampire's Seduction can also be summoned."_

There were plenty of other Chiton jutsus but Naruto decided to skip them in the meantime as he could not perform the art yet. He turned to the next chapter and read it.

 _"Sirens are ancient creatures that dwell underwater. These creatures are also masters of the Suiton. Another thing that made them known for are their voices. They use their voices to sing a melodic tune that could hypnotize their enemies making the victims easier to kill as they become defenseless once they are under their genjutsu."_

 _"Sirens have been long friends with the Uzumaki Clan. They have their own civilization underwater and each and every one of them are entitled to help should Uzushiogakure require their assistance. Sirens could also be summoned using the Summoning Jutsu once the user have become a fully pledged Genin."_

Naruto continued to read the book about sirens and learnt more about them. When he was finished, he turned to the next chapter.

 _"Dragons are the personal summons of the Uzumaki Clan. Each dragon becomes automatically bound to one Uzumaki Clan member. In order for the Uzumaki-Ryu blood pact to activate, the Uzumaki Clan member must be brought to Tera and presented to Watatsumi, three days after the Uzumaki Clan member's birth. Once presented, Watatsumi, the God of Dragons, will decide on who will be the Uzumaki Clan member's dragon partner."_

 _"The Uzukage's Family have the liberty to summon more dragons besides their personal summon."_

 _"Those who have the Uzumaki-Ryu pact will receive a mark on their shoulder proving them as one with the Dragon Clan."_

 _"Summoning a dragon requires a lot of chakra. The chakra required to summon boss summons such as Gamabunta, Katsuyu, and Manda are two dozen times more in order to summon a dragon. This adds a reason why the Dragon Contract is exclusive only to the Uzumaki Clan, since our clan are born with a very huge chakra pool."_

"Damn. Damn. Damn. If _that_ cursed village did not kidnap me, I WOULD HAVE MY OWN DRAGON SUMMON ALREADY!" Naruto shouted in exasperation.

 **"Woah, Naruto-kun. Please calm down."** Kurama told him as she freaked out for a moment that her host might get really angry and transform into Kyuubi again.

"I'm sorry Kurama-chan. I just got… ugh. I hate Konoha." The boy said as he rubbed his head.

 **"You know, you could ask your parents about your dragon summon. They could arrange a meeting with Watatsumi-sama."**

"Alright, I'll ask them later." Naruto said.

A few moments later there was a knock on the door. Naruto opened it and revealed Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko.

"Hello, Naruto-kun. How are you doing?" Konan said as she hugged the boy.

"I'm doing great Konan-chan. I've been practicing making origami move with my chakra."

"That's good to hear. Now, let us get back to your training."

The three jonins spent their afternoon training Naruto. Nagato taught him about the concept of ninjutsus while Yahiko taught him about basic fuinjutsu. Konan helped him with the origami mastery.

 **Unkown Location**

"Konoha's defenses are still weak at the moment. I need you to go there and become my spy. Offer them your services and join their ranks." A snaky voice said.

"It will be done, Tou-sama." Replied a female voice.

"Good luck, Anko-chan."

 **Iwagakure**

A short old man could be seen sitting behind his desk, reading a highly classified document. When he was done, he put the folder down and cleared his throat, calling for the people hidden inside his office.

"Get me Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi."

"Hai!"

Ten minutes later, a tall man and a girl with short hair entered the room.

"Tsuchikage-sama, you called?" The tall man bowed.

"Ohnoki-Jiji! What is it that you want?" The girl asked cheerfully.

"Here, read this." The old man said as he showed the two the folder he was reading earlier. They curiously took it and silently read its contents.

 _"Name: Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze_

 _Age: 4 or 5_

 _Location: Konoha_

 _Description: Known in his village as the "Kyuubi Brat". Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko. Sealed to him by the Yondaim Hokage when he was newly born the night the Kyuubi attacked Konoha. His parents are Minato Namikaze who was also known as the "Yellow Flash" and Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze who was known as the "Red Death". Naruto had been living his life as an outcast and if compared to how most Jinchuurikis are treated, the boy's life in Konoha was worse than all Jinchuuriki's life combined._

 _We also believe that the boy has an unknown kekkei genkai that is dormant."_

"Wow, Jiji. Where did you get this?" The girl asked.

"From our spies in Konoha, of course. They have discovered who the boy's parents are. Most of Konoha have no clue that he is their Yondaime's son. Funny how they treated their hero's legacy." The Tsuchikage said while chuckling to himself.

"He's kinda cute." The girl remarked as she stared at the boy's picture. "It's such a shame he's so lonely. He could spend some lonely time with me when he gets older. Hehehehe."

"Anyway," The old man said, gaining the girl's attention. "I'm sending you two to infiltrate Konoha. Retrieve the boy and bring him here to Iwa. Try not to harm him. We need to gain the boy's trust and add him to our forces. When he's old enough, we'll pair him to our strongest kunoichis and we will have his bloodline, whatever it is."

"Oooooh. I want to be his first wife." Kurotsuchi said dreamily while blushing.

"Heh. It would be ironic once we have him in our hands. We will turn him against Konoha. The way they treated him, no doubt the boy's already planning ways of their downfall." Akatsuchi said.

"Indeed." Onoki agreed. "Anyway, I want him brought here unharmed. We need to gain the boy's trust. This will be considered as an S-Rank Mission. Understood?"

"Hai!"

"Good. Now go and retrieve the Yellow Flash's son."

 **Somewhere (Guess the place lol. This one's obvious)**

"Our spies say that Konoha's epidemic has finally come to an end. While they are still weak from it, I need you four to go there and do what we have failed to do two years ago." A heavy and raspy voice said. "This time, make sure you bring the Hyuuga Heiress to me."

"Hai, Raikage-sama."

 **Chapter Seven End**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **1\. I will be explaining the Shinobi Ranking System in Uzushiogakure. I know many of you will wonder why three former ANBUs will be ranked as genin and when they graduate they will be only chunin instead of High Jonin rank.**

 **2\. The stories about Sai, Foo, and Torune, as you can see, are also made up by me. I changed their back story from the canon.**

 **3\. Thank you guys and hopefully I'll see you all next chapter.**


	8. Chapter 8: Kidnapped!

**Frodo: It's done.**

 **Sam: Yes, Mr. Frodo, it's over now.**

 **Deidera: What the fuck are Hobbits doing here, hmm?**

 **Tobi: Senpai! Language!**

 **JRL: I just borrowed them for the line. MIDTERMS ARE OVER, HMMM! I'll be two weeks free of stress before I worry about the finals.**

 **Frodo: JRL doesn't own Naruto. He doesn't own me, Sam and LOTR either. We just came here to deliver our oh so famous line, that's all.**

 **JRL: *opens up portal* Thanks Frodo, Sam.**

 **Frodo and Sam: Anytime, Lord JRL. *enters portal and returns to the LOTR Realm***

 **JRL: Lord JRL, huh? I like the sound of it. Oh well, here's Chapter 8 for you people.**

 **Chapter Eight: Kidnapped!**

 **Two Days After the events on Chapter Seven…**

 **Konohagakure**

Life in Konoha was expected to go back to normal after the attack. But no, the village have started to get more problems little by little instead. At first, they were having trouble gaining income as most of their contractors have pulled out. Only the Fire Capital was now left to support their finances. Second was medication and treatment for those who had been wounded during the attack and those who were still sick. The Sandaime Hogake was now feeling regretful declining his student Tsunade's request for Konoha's Medical improvement and advanced training. Now that his student was believed to have died during the attack on Uzushiogakure, he now realized his village really did need the Medical Program. Third problem was, all the villagers were low on morale. Even the shinobi on duty have become jumpy whenever they sense movement. Worst of all, the Civilian Council had been pestering him ever since the day the epidemic have ceased. They would constantly demand for a meeting and wanted their lost businesses compensated. But due to the economic problem the village was facing, Sarutobi could not just give away the money from Konoha's coffers to everyone who have lost valuables during the attack.

The Shinobi Council thankfully did not bother him that much, but they were starting to. The clan heads were trying to find a solution to their clan's problems by not relying on their Hokage too much. But they were now having problems. The Inuzuka Clan Member's noses were still burned due to the strong smell the attack and the epidemic produced. They were also experiencing slight ringing on their ears that made them dizzy. This was because of the lightning flash the unknown attackers did. While the Hyuuga Clan Members were starting to recover, those who had been near the flash were still half-blind. The Aburame Clan's bugs were agitated, while the Yamanaka Clan's also getting minor headaches. The Akamichi Clan have asked for assistance just this morning as their food supplies were starting to get low. With no food to eat, they will be of no help when placed on duty as their bodies needed constant food. Only the Nara Clan seemed to have no problem or they were probably feeling too lazy to even bother at all. The Sandaime Hokage have also noticed the Uchiha Clan having some problems. Although he still has no idea what it was about, he sensed that the clan tasked for the police force were hiding something from him.

 **Konoha Gates**

At the gates, two gate guards were looking like they wanted to die. Needless to say, they were bored, since they were always assigned on gate guard duty. It was early in the morning and one of the two yawned lazily and spoke to his partner.

"Ugh. This is so boring… I wish something happens." He said as he yawned again.

"Oh please, no. Don't say that, Kotetsu. The last time you asked for it, ten hours later the village got raided. I don't think I'd like another raid. I'd rather do this gate guard duty thing without a hitch." Replied his partner.

"Oh man. You're right, Izumo. Heh. Sorry." He chuckled while he scratched his head and looked over the road past the huge gates and squinted his eyes, noticing something. "Hey, wait, look! What is that…?" Kotetsu pointed out to the road.

"Oh crap. Something's happening. Damn it. Why did you have to whine earlier?" Izumo said, now feeling a bit anxious as he also stared past the gates. He could see a figure slowly approaching but could not clearly see it as the figure looked like it was wearing a cloak. "Oh, shit. Do we alert the ANBU?"

"Wait. Let's continue watching it first. I'm sure the ANBU hidden would have also sensed this cloaked figure's slow arriving presence." Kotetsu said. Although he stood up and had his hands on the hilt of his weapon and got into a stance.

Izumo followed suit and drew out a kunai and also went into a stance. The ANBU that was hidden noticed the two guards stood up moving into a defensive stance and they too got alert.

The two gate guards anxiously waited for the figure to approach. As it got nearer, they started to see an outline of a woman wearing a cloak. As the woman came into view, they noticed that she was limping and her clothing were damaged and had blood spots on the holes, indicating her wounds.

"Quickly! Someone call a medic team!" Izumo and Kotetsu both shouted as they rushed to the woman to help.

The wounded woman tripped and slowly fell. Thankfully Izumo managed to catch her before she hit the ground. The two guards heard that her breathing was ragged. They almost jumped in fright when the woman screamed.

"No! Please, stop! No more! Just take our items! Please let us go!"

They realized that the woman was unaware that she was not in any kind of danger. She thought that she was still in whatever place she came from.

"Hey, miss. Calm down. You're alright." Izumo said as he gently shook the woman.

"NO! What-?" The woman seemed to realize now that someone was gently shaking her.

"Hey, it's alright. You're safe now." Kotetsu said.

"Whe-where am I?"

"You do not know?" The two guards asked, intrigued. "So you really was walking unconsciously here, huh? Anyway, you're at Konoha."

"Konoha? You… you're a Konoha ninja, aren't you?" She asked nervously.

"Well, yeah." They both replied.

The woman widened her eyes as she started to go hysterical. "Please, help us! We got ambushed! They started killing off my family!"

"What? Who?"

"Rogue shinobi! Please, help me! My family! No no no no no. They're dead… No, they're not dead! But they killed them! Please help me!" She said as she started to sob.

"Rogue shinobi… I saw their headbands… Iwa and Kumo… My family and I were wanderers. I and my father was the only one who knew about the shinobi arts. I tried to fight. But my father told me to flee before he got killed… No! NO NOOOOOOO! THEY'RE NOT DEAD!" She screamed as she started to stand up.

"WE NEED TO GO BACK! WE NEED TO HELP THEM! WE NEED TO-" Her sentence was cut off as she finally lost consciousness. Kotetsu caught her and helped Izumo carry her to a stretcher as the medics have finally arrived along with the Hokage.

"What happened?" The Hokage asked as the medics checked on the woman's pulse. The guards then told him what the woman have told them.

"Sir, her life is not in danger. She fainted due to emotional stress and physical stress from combat. We're going to take her to the hospital now." The lead medic said as they carried the unconscious woman inside the village to get treated.

 _"Rogue Iwa and Kumo shinobi? Could it be…?"_ The Hokage silently thought to himself as he blew on his pipe. "You two, I want a detailed report about this incident after your shift. Now, go back to your posts!"

"Hai!" The two said as they went back to their boring job.

 **3 Hours Later, Konoha Hospital**

The woman slowly regained consciousness and opened her eyes finding herself in a white room. She heard a beeping sound and realized she was at the hospital.

"So, you're finally awake…" A voice said. The woman looked up and saw a nurse wearing round glasses holding a clipboard. "Rogue Iwa and Kumo shinobi, huh? Well, well, well. Who wouldn't have believed your story? You sounded very convincing. Oh well, I guess great acting really runs in our family… Anko Nee-chan."

The woman panicked and silently berated herself for being caught too easily. She was now freaking out but did not show it. She stared at the nurse and calmly spoke. "I do not know what you are talking about."

"Drop the act. We're the only ones here. You do not have to worry about people knowing about your identity. Your secret is safe with me."

"Who are you?"

"What? You do not recognize me? I'm hurt."

Anko stared at the man closely and memories of a boy with round glasses flashed in her mind. "Kabuto Otouto?"

"Nee-chan. I'm glad you still know me. I missed you." Kabuto said as he hugged the woman who now turned out to be his elder sister.

"I missed you too, Kabuto-kun. I'm sorry I didn't recognize you sooner." Anko said as she returned the hug.

"Heh. It's alright. So what brings you here?"

"Tou-chan asked me to join Konoha's forces and to spy for him."

"Tou-chan? How is he? Where is he now? I got loads of things to tell him! We haven't heard about you two for ages!"

"Well, ever since he defected from this village, he's been hiding in places. We never stayed in a place for more than three days. We were constantly on the move."

"I see. Well, the next time you report to him, tell him that Kaa-chan and I need to talk to him personally. We've got some message to rely."

"Why don't you tell me?"

"Sorry, it is an SS-Class Secret. It's not that I trust you. But I'm just being careful."

"I see. So how's Kaa-can doing?"

"She's fine. She's also one of the head medics here. You'll meet her later. Anyway, I have to go. I've stayed here for too long."

"Alright. I'll see you when I get released." Anko said as she went back to bed.

"Yeah, see you later then." Kabuto said as he exited the room.

 _"Finally. I'm home."_ Anko thought as she went back to sleep.

 **Hyuuga Compound**

The whole family – both Main and Branch, have gathered to the Hyuuga Clan's arena to watch the match between the Heiress and her cousin who was from the Branch Family. Everybody knew what will happen if the Heiress loses. While the Branch Family hated the Main House, they felt sorry for HInata as they knew she was different from the Main Family and have already expressed her intentions on removing the Caged Bird Seal from the Branch members and finally combining both houses into one again. The person who was going to be her opponent, on the other hand, felt different. Neji hated Hinata and blamed her for the death of his father. Two years ago, she almost got kidnapped by Kumo Shinobi but was saved. The Raikage demanded compensation for his dead shinobis' lives and the Hyuuga Clan offered Hizashi's to be placed on their stead. Hizashi was then brought to Kumo only to be killed and his body and eyes to be examined. Neji was then left an orphan.

The Hyuuga Clan members took their seats and waited for the match to start as the two combatants got into the Gentle Fist stance.

"HAJIME!" A Hyuuga referee shouted as he jumped back to the seats.

The two did not move and waited for the other to make an attack first.

"You cannot win. Fate has decided that I should win. In the end, you will be branded the Caged Bird Seal like us. Your path is to walk the road of the _Branch Members_ " Neji said coldly.

"N-no. I-I c-cannot l-lose t-to y-you. I-I'm going to w-win. A-and o-once I b-became h-heir, I w-will abolish t-the C-caged B-bird Seal." Hinata stuttered nervously, although her declaration made most of the Branch Family members cheer for her.

"It is my destiny to win. You will become a servant. Now, prepare to lose!" Neji shouted as he dashed at the Heiress. He sent a roundhouse kick that connected to the girl's jaw, sending her flying to the wall. Neji did not relent and immediately went after her to perform another hit. Hinata quickly recovered and was able block a punch that was sent to her face. Her opponent attempted another hit sending her a knee kick. Once again she was able to block it and counterattacked by performing a strong palm strike to her opponent's chest, sending him crashing away.

"You got lucky. But your luck will run out now. I am to win by Fate." The boy said as he quickly stood up and got into a stance.

Both fighters ran to each other with the intent to maim. Hinata was getting fed up with his cousin's Fate crap, while Neji's ego was damaged as he got hit by someone whom he called a weakling.

Both threw out deadly strikes. The sound of punches, jabs, kicks, and slaps were heard throughout the arena. Neji was able to make most of his attacks hit his opponent while HInata was having trouble keeping up with him. After about three minutes of close fighting. Both fighters disengaged and watched each other.

Neji now had a few bruises on his body and face while his chest felt like it was getting squeezed as he got hit by a palm strike for more than ten times. Hinata on the other hand was bleeding. Her eye was swollen while the other had a cut. She had more bruises and hers were bigger. Her body now felt sore.

Neji could hear Hinata's tired breathing and decided to end the match. Once again, he charged while his opponent got into the Main House's stance. He simply smirked as he knew what she was going to do and he already had a counter for the move. As he approached the Heiress with a flying kick, Hinata shifted her footing and caught it. She immediately used her fingers to close Neji's tenketsu points on his leg. This infuriated the boy and made him attack even more viciously as he failed to counterattack the move that closed his leg's tenketsu points. He used his other foot for a knee kick and was able to hit the girl in the stomach, making her double in pain and cough out some blood. He took a step back and got into a Main House stance.

"You are within my field of Divination..." Neji proclaimed, making everyone in the arena gasp.

 _"Impossible!"_

 _"He's bluffing! He couldn't possibly know that technique!"_

 _"How did he learn that technique?"_

 _"He's a Branch Member! How?!"_

Many thought to themselves as they watched in anticipation.

 **"Hakke Rokujuuyon Sho (Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms)!"**

Neji shouted as he began striking Hinata, closing off her tenketsu points.

"Ni Sho! Yon Sho! Hachi Sho! Juuroku Sho! Sanjuuni Sho! Rokujuuyon Sho!"

His last set of attacks hit Hinata square in the chest sending her crashing to the wall and making her cough out huge amounts of blood. Most of the clan especially from the Main House were in disbelief of Neji being able to perform the Hakke Rokujouyon Sho as it was only taught to the Main House members. One of the elders who defended Hinata during the meeting was the first one to recover and jumped down to the arena as she saw Neji charging at Hinata with a killing blow. The elder was able to interfere between the two and sealed off the boy's arms and legs' tenketsu points.

"That's enough, Neji. You have already won. There is no need to kill the Heiress." The elder said sternly.

"She is not the Heiress. Not anymore…" Neji said coldly as he started to walk away. _"You got lucky today, Hinata. Fate has decided for you to live. But do not worry, I'm going to kill you in another time. Father, forgive me for not being able to do it. I will wait for the time our paths cross again. Only Fate knows when. When that happens, I will make sure to kill her. And then you will be avenged, Father."_

The elder watched the boy exit the arena and then looked at Hinata sadly and carefully detached her from the wall.

"I'm so sorry, Hinata-chan." She told the girl as she waited for the medics to arrive.

In the stands, the spectators were starting to recover from their shock. They just witnessed a Branch member beat down a Main member, and exclusively, the Heiress, using one of the Main Family's Technique.

"Woah. That was unexpected…" Said by a branch member.

"I should have known…" Said another one.

"Of course. The Main Family's right. She's a weakling." Commented by another one.

"Who were we kidding?"

"She just got our hopes up. But in the end, she still lost."

"We'll never be free from this cursed seal."

"Not when the Heiress is such a weakling…"

"Yeah."

Most of the branch members were thinking and saying of the same thing. There were only less than five branch members who were still grateful to Hinata even if she lost. Soon the crowd got into an uproar.

"BOOOO!"

"WEAKLING!"

"WELCOME TO THE BRANCH FAMILY! HAHAHAHA!"

The elder and Hinata sadly listened, while the former glared at the crowd.

"You ungrateful bastards!" The elder hissed.

Thankfully the medics finally arrived to take the now former Heiress to the hospital to be given medical attention and to get away from the clan members who were now hostile against her.

"I'm so sorry, Obaa-chan. I-I failed…" Hinata weakly whispered as she started to sob.

"Shhhh, it's alright, Hinata-chan. Do not worry, everything's going to be fine." She tried to calm the girl as she was taken away by the medics.

 **Uzushiogakure**

 **Uzukage's Private Training Grounds**

KA-BOOM!

Explosions could be heard from the Uzukage's Mansion. When the people heard it for the first time, a lot of STORM quickly gathered to inspect the area. They thought something bad happened but only found The Lost Maelstrom training. They were now starting to get used to the explosions.

During the last few days, Konan, Nagato, and Yahiko had trained Naruto hard so that he could master a few techniques before they left for their mission to Amegakure. On the last day of their training, Naruto have finally mastered Konan's Paper Manipulation. He could now create and fold dozens of origami using only chakra and send them flying into a target.

Yahiko taught him the **Substitution Jutsu** and the **Transformation Jutsu**. Naruto could now substitute himself to anything that was within ten meter radius. He is still training so that he could perform the substitution with another object farther than ten meters. Suprisingly, Naruto was able to perfect the **Henge** two hours after Yahiko showed it to him.

Nagato taught him a few basic sealing techniques. He taught Naruto how to make storage seals and weighing seals to be used for training. Nagato was surprised when Naruto showed him an exploding seal. He had no idea how the boy learned about it, he later figured out that the Naruto learned to do it himself from reading the books he got from the bookstore owner, Nami. Nagato silently prayed to the gods that the Uzukage won't kill him because Naruto now knows about Explosive Seals. Even though the knowledge Naruto has about it were basic, it was still dangerous as he could get himself blown up should he make a mistake with drawing the seal.

On their last day to Uzushio, Naruto asked his three senseis to watch him perform the techniques they taught him. The boy was also excited to show them something new he learned by himself.

The three watched in a distance as Naruto showed them his new technique. They were very proud of him when he was able to show them everything they have taught him and perform those techniques perfectly.

"Look! I got this idea when I learned the exploding seal." Naruto shouted excitedly.

Naruto then took out a dozen explosive tags that he made. Using his chakra, he formed the tags into origami. He made eleven cranes and one huge fox. Next he set them off flying to a target.

"Behold! This is my art! You see these origami? I'll show them to my enemies in the battlefield. They will be awed with my art! When the cranes reach their target, they…" Naruto trailed off as he made a single hand sign.

 **"KATSU!"**

Eleven consecutive BOOMS were heard as the cranes reached their dummy target and exploded.

"They explode!" Naruto cheered happily. "But wait, there's more!" He said as the huge paper fox reached the target.

 **"KATSU!"**

 **KA-BOOM!**

"Art! Is an explosion!" Naruto said happily.

Meanwhile, his three senseis watched in awe.

"I'm so proud…" Nagato said and trailed off.

"And scared of him at the same time." Yahiko finished.

"Yeah." Nagato and Yahiko agreed. They looked at their female friend who had stars in her eyes and a huge blush on her face.

"Konan? Are you alright?"

"Beautiful… So beautiful, his art." She murmured. "I never knew someone would be as indigenous as him."

"Ummm, Konan? Why are you shaking? And you're breathing heavily."

"I just had an orgasm…" Konan said as she stared dreamily at Naruto.

 _"Note to self, Konan loves explosions. Learn origami."_ Yahiko thought as he grinned.

Nagato noticed his best friend's perverted look and also made a mental note. _"Yahiko's planning something… Stay away from him until he has mastered exploding origami."_

 **Somewhere**

"I sense a great disturbance in the force, hmmm." A blonde teenage boy said as he sniffed the wind around him.

"The gods of explosion has spoken, hmmm. I must find this kid and teach him the arts."

"FINALLY! SOMEONE WHO APPRECIATES ART, HMMM!" The blonde said as he made small clay birds and sent them flying to a tree, exploding.

"ART! IS AN EXPLOSION!" He said as he cackled madly and created a giant clay bird. He stood on top of it as the bird took off.

"Apprentice! Wait for me, hmmm! I'm going to find you!"

 **Uzukage Office**

"Uzukage-sama." A voice hidden in the shadows spoke.

"Report?" The woman inquired as he looked up from her desk.

"Hai. Our spies in Iwagakure saw the Tsuchikage's granddaughter and another accomplice leaving the village. They followed the two and found them headed to Konoha."

"I see. So they have fallen to the bait. It's only two things; they will either try to kidnap Naruto and add him to their forces turning him against the Leaf and also gaining his dormant bloodline, or, those two were sent to assassinate him in revenge to Minato for killing an entire army of their shinobi. Anything else?"

"The Hyuuga clan have decided to pit the Heiress against a branch member who is believed to be a prodigy. Should the girl lose, her title as Heiress will be taken away from her and she will be branded the Caged Bird Seal, making the Heiress' little sister the rightful Heiress next. The current clan head, believes that his daughter is a weakling and will lose against the branch member. He has already unofficially declared the younger girl as Heiress."

"Hmmm, tell Hikari to take care of the younger girl. She will know what to do."

"Hai. There's more, our spies in Kumogakure has spotted four of the Raikage's highest ranking shinobi leaving the village. Our spies tailed them and found them headed to Konoha as well. We believe that they will try to attempt kidnapping the Hyuuga Heiress."

"That's good. It's all good. Everything is going according to plan so far. Make sure that the Iwa and Kumo shinobi gets caught or spotted by Konoha snooping inside their village. The leaf already suspects both villages for attacking them a week ago, thanks to the specific jutsus our raiding teams used. Should Konoha catch those Kumo and Iwa shinobi in their territory, the Leaf's suspicions will grow stronger and they will most likely become hostile to both villages, accusing them for attacking during a time of peace. Also, the Raikage and the Tsuchikage will no doubt deny these accusations and will definitely be hostile to Konoha as well for being suspected at. Make sure that my orders regarding this issue reaches our spies in Konoha before the Iwa and Kumo shinobi arrive. Which means before this afternoon." The Uzukage said as she handed the spy a folder.

"Understood, Uzukage-sama. Before I leave, there's one last thing. Earlier this morning, Konoha admitted a woman to their hospital. Our spies in Konoha were not fooled and believe that the woman is also a spy trying to get to join Konoha's ranks. Nono asked to talk to me specifically and told me her concerns. She believes that the woman was sent by Orochimaru. She told me to ask you for orders regarding the woman."

"Orochimaru can wait. We are in an important situation at the moment. Tell her to keep an eye out for the snake's spy for now."

"Hai. I'll take my leave, Uzukage-sama."

"Thank you for the report. I'll hear from you again." She said as she returned her attention to her desk.

 **Konohagakure Borders, Late Afternoon Time**

"Finally. We're here." Akatsuchi panted. The two had been travelling almost non-stop ever since they left the village. They only stopped for water breaks and snacks.

"Heh. Yeah. Let's get some rest and wait until evening. It will be too risky to enter in broad daylight." Kurotsuchi replied.

"But we need to know where the kid is."

"No problem. We can send mud clones ahead."

"Of course. Why didn't I think of that? You're a genius."

"Heh. I have to be smart if I'm marrying the cutie Naruto, right?"

"Oh yeah, whatever. I thought you were not a fangirl."

"Hey, I'm not. He's the first guy I've ever fawned with."

"Oh, shhh. **Earth Style: Mud Clone.** "

 **"Earth Style: Mud Clone."**

Two clones materialized for each of the two.

"You know what to do." Kurotsuchi said as the clones nodded and left, while her partner started to make camp.

 **7 Hours Later after Hinata and Neji's match**

Hinata woke up feeling like her world was spinning. She looked at her surroundings and noticed that she was at the hospital. She tried to sit up but still felt a little nauseous.

"Hinata-sama, you're awake. Here, drink this. It will take away your dizziness."

As Hinata finished her drink, memories flooded back and she started crying.

"F-father w-was right. I-I am s-such a weakling. I-I l-lost." The girl said as she bawled her eyes out.

"Shhhh, Hinata-sama, you are going to be alright. Please don't cry." The nurse said.

Just then, they heard voices on the opposite of the door.

"You can't do this!" A familiar female voice said.

"No, she lost. She will now be branded with the Caged Bird Seal." The cold voice of the Hyuuga Clan Head said.

"At least give her some rest! It can wait tomorrow!"

"No. I know what your plans are. You want to delay her branding and make an appeal to the Hokage. But since I am the Clan Head, I will do what I want. Remember that, Elder Hikari. You may be my dead wife's older sister but I am still Hinata's father. I have the power to order what happens to her. And my will is to get her branded with the Seal."

The door flew open with Hiashi kicking it. Hikari followed after the Clan Head as he strode inside the room.

"Nurse. I want her released now. We'll bring her to the compound."

"O-of course, Hiashi-sama. Her condition is okay now." The nurse nervously said as she finished fussing over her patient. "You may now go, Hinata-sama. Just try not to move too much for a day or your body will suffer pain. Your chakra points are still raw and still needs rest."

"H-hai. T-thank y-you, Nurse-san." Hinata said as she stood up from her bed. She nearly fell down but a pair of warm arms caught her.

"H-hikari Oba-chan."

"Shhh, it's alright, Hinata-chan. Let me help you."

 **1 Hour Later, Hyuuga Clan Compound**

The whole clan once again gathered around their private arena. This time, instead of watching a fight, they will witness for the first time someone from the Main Family, the Heiress, to be exact, get branded with the Caged Bird Seal.

"Hyuuga Hinata." Hiashi called. "You were deemed unworthy of being the next Hyuuga Clan Head. You do not have the qualities of an Heiress. You are weak. You are too soft. Your Byakugan is weak and does not look like the Byakugan at all. And lastly, you were defeated by a mere Branch Member. Therefore, I, Hiashi Hyuuga, the Clan Head, will brand you the Caged Bird Seal as your punishment." He said as two branch members stepped forward and held Hinata on both sides.

Hiashi made a series of hand seals and pressed his palms on the crying girl. Hinata screamed in pain as she felt her head like it was going to explode. There was a green "X" glow and then she felt her forehead like it was on fire. Soon the pain died out. Hinata has now been branded with the Caged Bird Seal.

"Take her away." Hiashi ordered the two branch members. As Hinata was dragged away unconscious, the Clan Head called for Hanabi. As the girl stepped forward, he ordered for the crowd to stand up.

"Hyuuga Hanabi, as the previous Heiress was deemed unworthy, you are now the new Hyuuga Heiress. You SHALL accept this responsibility and DO everything I tell you to become the perfect Clan Head in the future."

"I accept. I will become the new Hyuuga Heiress and will do everything I can to become the perfect Clan Head in the future." Hanabi said confidently. In the inside, she was actually nervous and did not want the title. She saw how the Clan Head and the Elders tortured her sister Hinata during her trainings when she was still Heiress. Her Aunt Hikari talked to her earlier and gave her some confidence boost.

"Very well. Stand up and take this responsibility." Hiashi ordered. Hanabi stood up and then the crowd applauded for their new Heiress.

 **Outside the Arena**

"Where are they?" A voice whispered.

"I don't know." Someone replied.

"Shhh, someone's coming!" Another one said.

The voices hidden in the shadows watched as two Hyuuga Chuunin entered the villa carrying an unconscious girl. They watched as the two turned to another corridor.

"That's the Heiress." Another voice said.

"Tai-chou, orders?"

"Kay, Ell, stay here and take watch. Emm, with me."

The captain and Emm followed the corridor where the Heiress was brought. They searched each rooms and found the three Hyuugas on the fifth room. The Kumo shinobi silently crept up to the two and slit their throats. The captain took out a sealing scroll and from it a sack appeared. With Emm's help, they stuffed the unconscious girl inside the sack, not noticing her forehead.

"Let's go."

They returned to the area where they left Kay and Ell.

"That was easy. Let's get the hell out of here."

 **Outside the Hyuuga Compound**

Unknown to the four Kumo shinobi, they were being watched.

"They have the girl. They're heading outside." An Uzushio spy spoke to his radio.

"Send up the flare when they get near the Uchiha Compound's Gates. The Konoha patrols must be notified."

"The Iwa Pair are also on the move."

"Good. The mob will form as soon as they see the boy."

 **Uchiha Compound**

Sasuke just finished training and ran back to his house from the training grounds. When he got inside, he found his mother nowhere to welcome him. He silently looked around the house and went upstairs. He decided to go to his room to have his clothes changed. As he walked past his parents' room, he heard voices.

"Sasuke does not possess the Fire of the Uchiha Clan. He is too kind and is concerned of others. An Uchiha must always keep to himself." The voice of his father said.

"I know. Sasuke is such a weakling. I'm tired of looking after him. He is such a crybaby. Compared to Sasame, he is nothing. He might as well be banished from the clan and left for the orphanage. I do not want him." Mikoto said.

Upon hearing this, Sasuke's heart broke. _"You too, mother?"_ He thought as his eyes got blurry. He silently went downstairs as tears won't stop flowing from his eyes. He ran outside the house and outside the compound. He did not notice his surroundings and bumped into someone.

 **Outside The Uchiha Compound**

"That's them. Send the flare." A voice in the shadows said.

"Quickly! Let's go!" The captain kidnapper said as he carried the bag where the unconscious Hinata was stuffed in. They were now in front of the Uchiha compound. As they ran, Kay bumped into someone.

"Ooomphf!" Kay nearly stumbled and looked at what hit her. She glared at it and noticed it was a boy who looked the same age as the girl they were kidnapping. She noticed that he was wearing a shirt with the Uchiha Crest on it.

"It's an Uchiha!"

Sasuke still haven't noticed that he was in danger as he was too heartbroken to care.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? This must be a lucky day indeed." The captain said.

"Emm, we are taking the boy as well."

Ell knocked the boy unconscious as Emm took out another sack. Kay helped her teammate stuff the unconscious boy inside the bag.

"This is great! We got the Hyuuga Heiress plus a bonus! We got an Uchiha! Raikage-sama will be pleased." Kay laughed.

"Hurry up. The Hyuuga might have found the dead bodies by now."

As if on cue, they heard the alarms ringing from the Hyuuga Compound.

"Oh, shit! Let's go!"

 **Iwa Pair's Camp, Same Time when the Kumo Shinobi were still inside the Hyuuga Compound**

"The Iwa Pair will go inside the village in about two minutes. They are now demolishing their camp." A voice in the shadows said.

"Good. Prepare the lure."

Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi took down their camp and headed inside the village. As they got inside the village, they immediately hid in the shadows and watched as they saw a mob carrying torches, pitchforks, kunais, and katanas.

"Die, Demon Brat!" They screamed as they chased a blonde haired boy.

"Noooo! Please, have mercy!"

"Why would we take mercy on a demon? You killed our family members, in return, you must die!" The leader of the mob screamed as they pounced on the boy.

The Iwa Pair watched in horror as they started to beat the poor boy.

"Fuck! We need to help him!" Kurotsuchi screamed as she jumped out of her hiding spot, not waiting for her partner's answer. She made a series of hand seals and slammed the ground. **"Earth Relase: Earth Dome!"** She said as a circular dome erupted around the blonde boy and covered him from his attackers. **"Doton: Kaido Shokutsu! (Earth Style: Erupt)"** The ground where the mob shook and caused them to tremble and fall. A small hill erupted from where they stood making them fly away.

Akatsuchi jumped to his partner's side and the two of them made three earth clones as the mob reformed and charged at them.

"They are the demon's saviors! Kill them!"

 **"Earth Release: Earth Spikes!"** Both originals and clones said. Huge earth spikes erupted from the ground and skewered the mob. Those who survived the attack were killed by the clones via decapitation.

"Heh. Serves you right for attacking a defenseless child. Enjoy your stay in hell fuckers." Kurotsuchi said as she undid the Earth Dome and revealed an unconscious Naruto.

"Awwww, I'm so sorry I let them attack you. Don't worry, you will be safe in Iwa." She said as she carried the boy.

"Let me carry him. You're the offensive type. And I'm more of the defensive type. If we get chased, it will be easier for the two of us and safer for the boy." Akatsuchi offered.

"You're right." She agreed as she gently passed the boy to her partner.

"Let's go. The fastest and safest way is around the Uchiha Compound."

"What the heck?" A new voice said. The Iwa Pair looked at the source of the voice and found another mob.

"Hey, look! That's the demon brat! They are the ones who did this!" The leader of the second mob said, pointing to the dead bodies. "After them!"

 **Outside the Uchiha Compound, Present Time**

"Oh shit. Let's go!" The captain shouted as Emm lifted the young Uchiha's sack.

They were about to run when they heard a rustle from the bushes. Then out from it came two Iwa Shinobis carrying an unconscious boy. About ten seconds later, more footsteps were heard.

"There! That's them! They have the demon brat!" The mob leader said as he pointed at the Kumo and the Iwa shinobi. Soon they were surrounded by the mob.

"Civilians to the rescue, eh?" The Kumo captain scoffed.

"We found them! They are near the Uchiha Compound's Gates!" A new voice said. All kidnappers turned and saw two chuunins with white eyes.

"What the-?" One of the Hyuugas momentarily stopped as he recognized who were inside the bag and who the Iwa kunoichi was carrying.

"That's Hinata-sama and Fugaku-sama's son, Sasuke inside the bags! And they also got the demon brat!" The other Hyuuga said.

"Listen," Kurotsuchi said, calling the attention of the Kumo Captain, "I don't know who you guys are exactly. But I can tell you're from Kumo. From what I can see, we are both kidnappers here. In a few minutes we will have whole of Konoha after our asses. As much as I hate to say this, but, we are going to need each other's help in order to fulfill our missions. We could help each other out until we get a safe distance from the Leaf. After that we go our separate ways. No bullshit, no backstabbing. Deal?"

"I'd really hate to admit it too, but, yeah. We could really use some help. So yeah, deal. Now, let's get the fuck out of here." The Kumo Captain said.

The Iwa Pair nodded and left with the Kumo team. With a couple of Doton and Raiton jutsus, they easily killed the mob that surrounded them as they were only civilians. They were gone for a good three minutes before a dozen squads of ANBU, Uchiha, and Hyuuga arrived.

"Bloody hell! These people are civilians!" One of the Uchihas said.

"P-please… Help me…" All of them turned and saw a civilian who was barely breathing. It was the leader of the second mob. He had multiple bone fractures and his heart was impaled.

"T-they t-took t-the Hyuuga Heiress, Fugaku-sama's son… A-and the blonde kid. K-kami-sama, p-please f-forgive me…" The civilian whispered as his soul left his body. Before he died, he realized his mistake and finally figured out that the blonde boy whom they hated and tried to murder was actually a human and the container, not the Kyuubi no Yoko itself.

"This way, quick!" The Hyuugas said as they found the kidnappers with their Byakugan. They motioned for the others to follow and jumped into the bushes leading to the forest.

 **Hokage Office**

"Hokage-sama!" A jonin entered the office without knocking on the door. He was panting as he kneeled.

"The demon brat, the Hyuuga Heiress, and Fugaku-sama's youngest son were kidnapped. Dozens of dead bodies were found near the market district and the Uchiha Compound Gates. All of them were civilians. The Hyuuga Clan have also reported two dead chuunins whose throats were slit. The kidnappers have escaped through the forest from the Uchiha Compound. A dozen squad are currently chasing them."

"Thank you. You may now leave." The Hokage said as he pointed at his crystal ball, indicating he already knew a part of the news.

"Hai." The jonin bowed and left the office, closing the door.

Sarutobi stood up from his seat and inhaled from his pipe. He faced the windows and looked at the village as he exhaled the smoke.

"Iwagakure and Kumogakure… Is this a coincidence? Or are they the ones responsible for the raid? Ohnoki… Ay… What are you two up to?" The Professor mumbled as he blew another from his pipe.

 **Chapter Eight End**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **1\. Hikari doesn't know about Uzushiogakure still existing. The Uzukage only mentioned her because she ordered for Hikari to be watched by the Uzu Spies. So she knew about her being good to Hinata.**

 **2\. Hitomi, Hinata's mother's ancestry will be revealed next chapter. (Hinata's mother didn't actually have a name in the canon, I only took it after the stories I've read here in Fanfic. So in my story, her name will be Hitomi as well.)**

 **3\. The private message I sent to Halno will be for you all as well: "I do apologize for Chapter 6. I know it kinda sucked. So I'm glad I redeemed myself in Chapter 7 and you liked it." So yeah, I hope you also liked Chapter 8: Kidnapped! :)**

 **4\. Review, follow, favorite, and tell your friends of my awesome work! Yay! :D**

 **5\. Thank you all and see you guys next Chapter! :)**


	9. Chapter 9: A Place to Call Home

**JRL: Aw yeah! I'm back! I want to thank everyone who offered their sympathies. It has been a hard time for me. I lost a loved one. But it has been declared by fate. We need to move on. So let us cheer up and look into the bright future. Here's Chapter 9! :D**

 **Deidera: *cries***

 **Tobi: Why are you crying, Deidera Senpai?**

 **Deidera: I'm not crying, hmmm! I'm just touched, hmm! I finally got an exposure in the story! And I'm having an apprentice.**

 **Tobi: Tobi congratulates you, senpai. Tobi knows you will be a great sensei.**

 **Deidera: Right, hmmm! JRL doesn't own Naruto. Just so you people know. But I'm sure everybody knows that, hmmm.**

 **Chapter Nine: A Place to Call Home**

 **Takigakure, Same Time the Kidnapping Was Happening**

"This way, follow me." Fu whispered to her Uzu Companions as they entered the village once again. They have made preparations and waited for nighttime to fulfill them. As someone who used to run and hide ever since she was able to walk and talk, Fu knew all the passages in the village. Be it a secret passageway or not, the girl knows about them as she had been there when hiding from mobs. Fu and the four STORM crept into a narrow passageway hidden from the night patrols. There were only a few since the village was peaceful, except for the fact that they were hostile against one girl.

"There's nobody here." The captain of the team commented. "You really know your way, huh."

"Of course. Now, we take this secret passage. This leads inside the Takikage's Mansion." Fu replied as she pointed at a corner with a small puddle of water. If someone would look closely, they will see nothing but a simply puddle of water. But in Fu's case, she found out about it.

Fu and the Uzu Retrieval Team entered the secret passage. They got inside the mansion and immediately headed to the safe. With the use of some blood seals, they were able to open the safe and immediately created copies of the scrolls ranking from A to Kinjutsu. They took the original ones and placed the copies inside the vault. The copies will remain there just for the Takikage to see if he decides to check. Once he have checked the scrolls and found them there, the fake scrolls will vanish.

They exited the mansion without a problem. They sneaked into the shack where the gathered Hero's Water was being kept. They took everything and placed it inside a special sealing scroll and not a single drop was left from the container.

"We're done here. Thank you. Now, let's go to your place." Fu said as they got back inside the forest where they made camp for the day.

"Sounds good. Let's go." The captain nodded they jumped off leaving the Village Hidden in the Waterfall behind.

 **Takigakure – Konoha Border**

 **Fu and STORM's POV**

The five were speeding back to Uzushiogakure when they felt six strong chakra signatures and three faint ones.

 **"Weird. I can sense my sister's chakra. But it seems faint... Incomplete…"** The Nanabi spoke through her container's mind.

 _"There's another one like me?"_ Fu asked.

 **"Yes. And if I am not mistaken, it is the Kyuubi."** Nanabi said, not mentioning her sister's real name as it was a rule. The demon or demoness itself shall be the one to tell a mortal of their name.

"Halt. I sense a familiar chakra signature." The Uzu Captain said as she and her four companions stopped.

"Nanabi said she can sense the Kyuubi." Fu informed the four STORM, making their eyes widen.

"Naruto-sama? What is this? The chakra signatures with him are not familiar…" The captain muttered and then realized. "SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED! EVERYONE, CONCEAL YOURSELVES! FU, YOU STAY AWAY AND HIDE!" She barked to her teammates as they got into an ambush formation.

"Wait! What's happening? Are those people enemies?" Fu inquired.

"Yes. The chakra signatures around Naruto-sama are not familiar."

"Naruto-sama? Who is he?"

"Oh, right. You do not know. Well, he's like you, a jinchuuriki. He has the Kyuubi no Yoko. We'll explain more about him later. For now you need to hide while we rescue him. The six chakra signatures with him are high jonin level, in normal standards."

"Tai-chou! There are friendly chakra signatures chasing after them." One of the STORM said.

"Wait! Normal standards?" Fu asked, bewildered.

"We'll explain later. Hide and conceal your chakra, go!"

Fu nodded and went to find a spot to hide. The four STORM activated their Rinnegan behind their masks and waited for their guests.

 **Iwa and Kumo Shinobi POV**

"We're passing through the borders." The Kumo Captain said as he adjusted the sack over his shoulder.

"They are still after us. We'll need to do something." Kurotsuchi said.

"Let's stop here. Kay, Elle, watch over the kids. Emm, with me. We're fighting the pursuers."

"Alright. Akatsuchi, please watch over my future husband. Prepare to do support."

 **Konoha Pursuers POV**

Unknown to the kidnappers, the Konoha shinobi have long stopped from pursuing them. Instead, it was the Uzu-nins who were chasing after them only wearing Konoha gear.

"Tai-chou. They have stopped."

"They are probably thinking of engaging us now."

"There are four friendly chakra signatures ahead them, and another strong one, unfamiliar."

"Wait, four? And another strong one. That's the Nanabi Jinchuuriki Retrieval Team."

"I think they have also sensed us and the ones we are pursuing."

"You there, I need you to go ahead around and inform the other team of the current situation. Quickly. Go!"

"Hai!"

 **Real Konoha Pursuers POV (Earlier)**

"Wait!-No! Stop!" A Hyuuga shouted as a Chuunin stepped on something.

BOOM!

"Damn it! This place is rigged with traps! If we go around they will be too far away to catch!" An Uchiha said.

"We have no choice. We need to go around where there are no traps. I'm sure we can still catch them." Another one said.

"Well then, let's go!"

Before the pursuers could begin to move, they felt unfriendly chakra signatures around them and were many.

"Well, well, well. Lookie here. We got some Konoha-nin inside our camp." A heavy raspy voice sad.

"Heh-heh. Let's kill them." Cackled by a high pitched voice that sounded like a fangirl.

The Konoha pursuers got into a defensive position and prepared.

"Damn it. We let ourselves get ambushed." Said by a chuunin.

The Leaf found themselves surrounded as the owner of the voices came out. There were a hundred of them.

"Bandits? Let's deal with them quickly."

"Ooooh. Lookie. They think they can beat us. Let's show them why they should fear us." The leader said as they stepped out from the shadows of their hiding spots. As they surrounded the Konoha-nin, the ANBU recognized them.

"You're Kumo and Iwa nin. So you really are working together." The ANBU commented.

"Heh. Quite right." The fangirly voiced male said.

"So the woman we admitted to the hospital earlier…"

"Girl? Hmmmm. Wait, I think I remember. Wearing a purple dress?"

"Exactly. So she was telling the whole truth then. You ambushed her and her family."

"I must say, her father was a tough fighter. But we still managed to kill him. So you got our prize, we will take her from your hospital once we deal with you." The leader said as he drew his weapon, unsheathing two katanas. The other rogue nins followed him and unsheathed their weapons as well.

"May the best men win." The leader said as the rogue ninjas charged at the Konoha-nin.

 **Fu Retrieval Squad POV (Back to normal time)**

"One friendly incoming." One of the hidden STORM said as they felt one of their comrades' chakra signature. They waited until he came to their position and also hid himself.

"Finally. I got to you. Here's the situation…" He said as he held out his palm to let his comrades know, showing them his memories of the kidnapping and the mission that was assigned to them.

 **Flashback**

"Kaa-chan."

"Naruto-kun. I would like to ask you something. This is very important. Please sit down." The Uzukage said as she motioned for her youngest to take a sit.

"Alright, what is it Kaa-chan?"

"Kurama-san needs to hear this as well."

"Okay…" Naruto said as he concentrated and woke up his friend. "Okay she's listening."

The Uzukage then told her son about Iwagakure, Kumogakure, and Konoha. She told him about the planned kidnappings and asked her son for some blood and chakra from Kurama that would be used for a Naruto Blood Clone.

"The girl who is going to get kidnapped is my goddaughter. Her mother, Hitomi, is an old friend of mine and was my teammate when I was still a genin. The reason why we're interfering is that she's part Uzumaki. There is a chance that her children might also have gained our bloodline. We cannot let it fall into the hands of another village."

"I understand. So the clone will be used as bait for Iwa?"

"Yes."

"Alright. I'll help." Naruto grinned as his mother hugged him in thanks. The Uzukage then motioned for the STORM that was hidden and called for the team that was assigned for the mission. She then briefed them about the intervention they will be doing during the supposed kidnapping of the Naruto Blood Clone and the Daughter of Hitomi, Hinata Uzumaki Hyuuga.

 **End Flashback**

"I see. We were worried that The Lost Maelstrom had been kidnapped again. Thanks for the information." The captain said and motioned for her team. "Alright. We're going to assist 'retaking back' the kidnapped children as Konoha shinobi."

 **Iwa and Kumo Shinobi POV**

"Here they come!" One of the Kumo shinobi said.

"Hand us over the children and we will our separate ways and forget this incident this ever happened."

"Like hell we will!" Kurotsuchi and the Kumo Captain both said.

"Alright then." The STORM Captain said as two of his comrades appeared, getting into a stance.

"You sure you guys want to fight us?" Kurotsuchi taunted.

"Not really. We just want the children back."

"You're not taking any children. These kids are ours now! And we will take them back to our village!" Kay said.

"DIEEEEEEEEEEE!" The Kumo Captain charged as he decided to cut the talk and fight.

As the captain said the word, he and his comrades were sent away flying by an invisible force.

The three STORM immediately blinked and grabbed the children before another STORM who was hidden casted the **Shinra Tensei**.

 **Fu Retrieval Team**

"Okay, they got the children." The captain whispered through her radio. "Prepare to spring the trap."

They waited as the first team went to their direction with the children. The first team slowed down as they waited for the kidnappers to recover and spot them, only to lead them into the trap.

"They got our packages!" The one who was carrying Sasuke earlier said.

"After them! I did not come this far only for the mission to fail!" Kurotsuchi screamed.

As the kidnappers got into the trap perimeter, the second STORM team who were hidden in a square formation activated it.

 **"Fuin: False World"**

The kidnappers found themselves surrounded by a huge group of Konoha shinobi and got into a stance. They battled for a good ten minutes and destroyed the forest in the process. Raiton and Doton jutsus fought against Katon. In the end they stood no chance against the Byakugan and the Sharingan. Their tenketsu points were sealed off and they were hit by the Uchihas' katon jutsus. Before they lost consciousness, they saw the Konoha nin fell dead around them.

 **Normal POV**

The Eight STORM plus one jinchuuriki came out of their hiding spots and checked on the kidnappers.

"They'll be out for about three hours. We will be very far away from them then." The first captain (Fake Konoha Team) said.

"Uhhh, is it over?" A muffled voice asked. The STORM remembered about the children and opened the bags, revealing the Naruto Chii Bunshin, a crying Hyuuga, and a young Uchiha who looked like he was in a daze.

"I see it's over then." The Naruto clone said as he inspected the area and prepared to dispel himself. "Alright then. Good job. I'll report to the boss now."

"Wait!" Fu shouted at Naruto.

"Huh?"

"Are you the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi?"

The blood clone did not respond and stared at the STORM questioningly.

"Um, my name is Fu. I'm the Jinchuuriki of the Nanabi. She felt your chakra inside you so she told me about you."

"I see. Well, to clarify things, I'm just a clone. A percentage of blood and chakra that came from my son and the Kyuubi were used to create me. Most of the blood used was from my original."

"WHAAAAAAAAAT?" Fu asked, totally confused.

The Naruto clone chuckled and formed a hand sign. There was a poof of smoke and from where the Naruto clone was, a beautiful woman with long red hair now stood.

"I'm sure your rescuers have already told you about us being on good terms with jinchuuriki. My son, Naruto, is the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. I am the leader of the village that you are going to. My name is Uzumaki Namikaze Kushina, Shodaime Uzukage of the New Uzushiogakure."

"Uzumaki? Uzushiogakure? Hmmmm." Fu's eyebrows scrunched as she got into a deep thought. "I think I've read those names before."

"Shhh, we'll talk more about that later. For now you need to move. You will meet my son later." She smiled as she made a hand-sign and dissolved into a puddle of blood. The blood soon dissipated into smoke.

"We need to get moving. The pick-up area is an hour's worth of travel ahead." The first captain said.

"The kids look distraught. What happened to them?" The second captain inquired.

"The girl's gone into a tough experience." He replied, not elaborating as they already knew about Hinata. "We do not know about the boy."

"We need to check him first. He may be a kid but we cannot just trust someone from Konoha."

"Yeah, you're right." He said as he placed his palm on top of the boy's head and scanned through Sasuke's memories.

"Oh dear. Poor boy." He mumbled as he unplaced his hand from the boy's head and held it out for his teammates to see.

"Oh. Poor boy indeed. We'll take him with us. Naruto-sama and he will be great friends. Uzukage-sama will be pleased about him as well."

"Let's go. Just cast a sleeping jutsu on them."

 **1 Hour Later**

They had been running non-stop for an hour and slowed down as they approached a huge waterfall.

"We're here." The first captain said as he walked inside into an opening that was behind the waterfall.

"This is Uzushiogakure? You're located inside a waterfall?" Fu asked, feeling incredulous. However she still followed inside and heard someone laughing.

"This is just the pick-up point. From here I'm going to transport you to Uzushiogakure." A new voice said as he stopped laughing.

Fu looked for the owner of the voice and found a man with long blonde hair wearing a white cloak with flame patterns on the bottom of it.

"Hello, Fu. My name is Minato Namikaze. I'm the Uzukage's husband."

"You look like an elder version of Naruto."

Minato chuckled and replied, "Haha yes. You'll finally meet him later." He said as he stared at the two sleeping children the STORM was carrying.

"Hmmm, poor kids. They need immediate medical treatment. I'll take them first." He said as the STORM gently laid them on the ground. Minato carried Hinata over his left shoulder while he carried Sasuke on his right.

Fu's jaw dropped as the man vanished in a yellow flash along with the children he was carrying.

"What the-?"

After about ten seconds, there was another yellow flash of lightning.

"Alright, hold hands everyone. We're going to Uzushiogakure."

 **Uzushiogakure, Uzukage Office (AN: Finally! Back to Uzu lol)**

"Woah!" Fu gasped. "What was that?"

"That was my Hiraishin." Minato replied as Fu took in her surroundings.

"Welcome home, Fu." The Uzukage greeted, calling the attention of everyone.

"Uzukage-sama, I do thank you for the warm welcome. I also thank you from sending people to take me away from Taki." Fu said as she bowed.

"I cannot just do nothing knowing that someone like you isn't treated very well. From now on, Uzushiogakure will be your home. I know what you've been through, so I understand it will take you time to get used to our village. As you grow older, you will know why the Uzumakis are friendly with the Tailed Beasts and their Jinchuuriki. For now, I want you to enjoy your stay here. You will be living in the mansion with us." The Uzukage said as she now turned to the STORM who now kneeled.

"You eight have done Uzushiogakure a great service. I thank you and commend you for doing your duty well. You will receive twice the pay of an S-Rank Mission. I want a full report of your mission tomorrow afternoon. Dismissed."

"Hai! Thank you, Uzukage-sama." The STORM bowed and shunshined out of the office. Just then, the office door opened revealing a panting blonde boy.

"Kaa-chan!" Naruto squeaked as he entered the room.

"Naruto-kun, what is it?" Kushina asked, a bit worried. Minato immediately ushered after him and led him into a seat.

"Kurama-chan told me she felt her sister's chakra. So I went to tell you." The boy said, still not noticing the green haired girl in the room.

"Oh. Well, I wanted to surprise you both. But I guess it can't be helped…" The Uzukage said as she motioned for Fu to come near. "Naruto-kun, please meet Fu. Fu, meet my youngest son, Naruto."

 **"It's her. She's really sealed inside him."** Chomei said excitedly.

 **"Naruto-kun, my sister is sealed inside her. Like you, Fu is also a jinchuuriki. She has the Nanabi."** Kurama told Naruto.

"It's nice to meet you, Fu-chan. Kurama-chan also says she missed Chomei-san."

"It's also nice to finally meet you, Naruto..sama."

"Hey, wait. Not you too. Please, no –sama. You may call me by name. After all, we're technically siblings in a manner of… uh… status?"

"Alright then, Naruto-kun!" Fu said cheerfully.

"Umm, Kurama-chan says she would like to talk to her sister." Naruto said as he raised his right fist and waited for his new sister to fist bump with him. Fu understood what he wanted and bumped fists with her brother. As they connected, a mental link was formed that allowed the two demons to talk each other. As the sisters talked through the link, the Uzukage cleared her throat and talked.

"Ummm, Fu. I understand that you do not have a family. So, what do you think of being part of our family?" She asked.

"Ummm. Family?"

"Yes. Family. From now on, you will be treated as our own daughter. What do you think?" Minato asked.

"M-me? Y-you want to adopt me?"

"Yes." Minato and Kushina replied.

"Yes!" Fu squealed in happiness as tears won't stop from flowing down her face. "I finally have a family! I've always wanted a family! And I got a brother too!"

"Well then, how does Uzumaki Namikaze Fu sound?"

"I like it… Kaa-chan! Tou-chan!" She said as she hugged her new parents.

"Yay! I got another sister!" Naruto cheered as he joined the group hug.

"Now, I know you two are probably tired and hungry, so we're going out together with the rest of the family and introduce you to them." Kushina said as she made a clone to do her paperwork.

"Ramen!" Naruto cheered happily as they exited the office.

 **Afternoon Time, Uzushiogakure Hospital**

 **Hinata's Room**

"Uzukage-sama, their health condition is fine now. The boy is still asleep because of the medicine we gave him when he woke up earlier crying. The girl should wake up in a few moments." The nurse said as she led the Uzukage and Minato into Hinata's room.

"Ugh…" Hinata mumbled as she slowly opened her eyes. She looked at her surroundings and realized she was at the hospital. She hasn't noticed the two people standing near her bed yet.

"Hello, how are you?" A voice asked, making the girl squeak in surprise.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." Kushina said gently. "My name is Uzumaki Namikaze Kushina. I had you saved from being kidnapped by Kumo. Do not worry, you're safe now. Your wounds have been also healed."

"P-please, l-let me s-stay here… I don't want to go back to them…" She whispered as she curled into a ball and started to cry.

"Shhhh, don't worry, Hinata, I'm not sending you back. Did you know I'm your godmother? As your godmother, I'm not going to let any more harm come to you. I will protect you."

"G-godmother?"

"Yes, Hinata-chan. Hitomi named me your godmother before we got separated."

"You know my Kaa-chan?"

"Yes, I did know her. Your mother and I were best friends. She was also my teammate back when we were genin until we made jonin."

"C-can you tell me more about her?"

"Of course." Kushina said as she smiled warmly at the girl. For the past hour, she spent it by telling Hinata stories about Hitomi. When she was done, Hinata was once again crying.

"I-I m-miss her s-so much." She sniffled as Kushina embraced her.

Hinata unconsciously touched her forehead and rubbed it.

"I-it doesn't hurt anymore…" She whispered as her godmother released her from the hug.

"The Caged Bird Seal has been removed from you. I took the liberty of having it removed when you were still asleep." Kushina informed the girl making her cry again but this time, Hinata cried in relief.

"T-thank you."

"Hiashi will pay for doing this to you. Also, do not worry about your sister. I'll have someone take care of her and keep her away from harm."

Hinata nodded in thanks and relaxed. Just then, the door opened and more people who looked like Minato and Kushina went inside.

"Kaa-chan! Is she awake? May I see her now?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"You!" Hinata pointed to the boy as her face turned red. Kushina became worried that Hinata might have been brainwashed about her son as well, and got ready to defend her youngest.

"I never knew your name…" She mumbled.

"Um, Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto! The future Uzukage! Believe it!"

"H-hi. N-naruto-kun… I-I n-never g-got t-the chance t-to t-thank y-you."

"Thank me for what?" Naruto asked as he sat on Hinata's bed, making the girl blush even more.

"Y-you s-saved m-me… Y-you're my… Naruto-kun." She stuttered as she lost consciousness, fainting. She meant to say "You're my hero" but due to Naruto being too close to her, her mind overloaded and caused her to faint.

"'You're my Naruto-kun?' What?" Narumi, who was also there, giggled.

"Heh, I always knew our Naruto-kun's the lady killer." Minako snickered.

"Wow. We found another member of our otouto's fan club." Miho and Mio both said at the same time as they also giggled.

 _"Wow, son. That was impressive."_ Minato thought as he also grinned.

 _"So they have met before? I wonder what happened the first time they met."_ Kushina thought.

"So… Naruto-kun, care to explain?"

"Hmm? I really don't know what you mean."

"I-I…" Everyone turned to the girl as she regained consciousness. "H-he s-saved m-my l-life… When I was three years old…"

 **Flashback**

It was a night of festival in Konoha. A celebration was held as the Ambassador of Kumo arrived for the peace talks and the possible alliance between both villages.

As for Naruto, it was just a normal night for him as he just escaped another mob that was trying to murder him. As he turned into a corner, he did not realize he was near the Hyuuga Compound. The boy immediately jumped in alarm and hid as he heard hushed whispers.

"Quickly! We need to get out of this village now!"

Naruto, being the child he was, got curious and went out from his hiding spot and checked out the voices.

"What are you doing?" He asked as he approached two people with the other one carrying a crying girl.

"Help me!" The girl cried as she heard Naruto's voice.

"Hey, let her go! What are you doing to her?" Naruto demanded.

"Get lost kid." One of the kidnappers said as he hit the boy in the head, knocking him out.

"No! What did you do to him! You're bad people! You killed him!"

"Come on, we need to go." The one who hit Naruto said.

"You're not going anywhere." The kidnappers nearly jumped in fright as they heard a voice that carried a very strong aura. They turned around and noticed the blonde boy floating in mid-air with his head hung low. As he raised his head and glared at the kidnappers, the Kumo nin knew they were going to die. They stared in awe and in total fear as the unconscious floating boy opened his eyes, revealing purple ones with ring patterns on it.

The blonde boy vanished and reappeared beside the one carrying the girl and gently grabbed her from him. He once again vanished and reappeared in front of the kidnappers about five meters away from them. It happened so fast that the Kumo-nin did not know what happened and only realized it when they saw the boy in front of them carrying the girl they were kidnapping. He quickly set the girl down and stared at the kidnappers. They were about to charge at the boy when he raised both arms with his hands opened.

 **"Shinra Tensei." (Heavenly Subjugation of the Omnipresent God or Almighty Push)**

The kidnappers were blasted off from their feet by an invisible force, causing them to crash into a wall.

 **"Bansho Tenin" (Heavenly Attraction of All Creation or Universal Pull)**

About a second passed after they crashed into the wall they felt themselves being pulled to the boy this time ( **A.N.: Take notice that there was no interval** ). Naruto caught the two in their necks and choke slammed them to the ground.

 **"Ningendo" (Human Path)**

He said as he placed each hand on top of their heads in a grip-like hold. He raised his arms as he pulled the souls of the two kidnappers, immediately causing their bodies to drop dead.

 **"You're safe now."** He told the girl as he turned to her and helped her get up to her feet. **"Your family will be arriving soon, I can sense them."**

Naruto started to walk away but smiled at the girl before he left the area. The girl was fascinated with the boy's purple eyes.

Hinata will forever remember this incident and wait to see her savior once again and to thank him. Ever since the failed kidnapping, she had developed a liking for Naruto.

 **End Flashback**

"H-he w-was so amazing. He defeated the bad guys…" She said, no longer stuttering.

Those who were listening to her story, however, were silent. Kushina excused herself and went outside. As she got out of the room, she couldn't hold it back and finally broke down crying. Her sobs were heard by the people inside and Minato immediately went after his wife.

"I-I should have known… Our baby boy… He's been through a lot already… For someone such as him to be able to awaken it at age three… I will never forgive Konoha for this…" She said as she sobbed.

Naruto, meanwhile, was a little confused. He could not remember fighting the Kumo kidnappers. He only remembered trying to figure out what they were doing and then blacking out when one of them hit him in the head. He was now close to figuring out when he heard his mother crying.

 ** _"What is she talking about…? Based on the girl's story, he battled the kidnappers by sending them away flying and back, defeated them by touching their heads… Kushina also said something about him awakening something… Has Naruto-kun awakened it? How come I never noticed?"_** Kurama thought silently as she was also listening to the story. She was pacing inside her mansion that Naruto made for her. **_"I need to look into this memory…"_**

The Rinnegan, it normally awakens when an Uzumaki reaches the age eighteen. If the person undergoes harsh training he or she could awaken it earlier. In extreme cases, like the Uchiha Clan's Mangekyou Sharingan, the Rinnegan can be also awakened if the person experiences very traumatic physical, mental, and emotional pain. This was the case for Naruto.

"Is that Kaa-chan? Why is she crying?" Naruto asked his siblings worriedly. They understood why their mother was very hurt at the moment and decided not to disturb her while their father tried to comfort her.

"Kaa-chan's alright. I think it was just someone else who sounded like her. Don't worry, Naruto-kun." Minako said.

"Are you sure?" The boy asked, doubtful of his brother's answer.

"Yeah, we're sure." Narumi said as she smiled at Naruto.

"Hmmm, okay then." Naruto decided to ask about his mother because he was sure he felt his mother's distressed emotions. For now he just pretended to believe his older siblings.

"You know, Naruto, there is also this boy admitted to the other room. He was also from Konoha. Would you and Hinata like to meet him?" Narumi asked as she tried to divert the attention from their mother.

"Do you know him, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked the girl. The girl shook her head and told him she thought she was the only one who'd been kidnapped.

"Alright then, let's go meet him!" He said cheerfully as Mio and Miho led them to another door that led to the next room. Narumi went to the other door that their parents used to check on her mother. Minako waited until Naruto and the others got inside Sasuke's room before following after his older sister.

 **Sasuke's Room**

The young Uchiha could be seen staring at the wall opposite his bed. He knew he was kidnapped and was saved and was brought to another village. He was currently thinking of his family… or if he should still call them his family. His father and his siblings never showed any kind of affection for him while his mother also said she no longer wanted him. When he got out of the compound and bumped into the Kumo kidnapper, he knew he was in danger but shrugged it off because a huge part of him wanted to get kidnapped and be taken away from Konoha. When he regained consciousness, he now found himself in a foreign place. Although new, he felt the people were friendly and nice to him. He had already developed a liking to the new place he currently was and couldn't wait to get of out his bed to make a tour. He was interrupted from his thoughts when he heard the door of his room open.

"Hello! May we come in?" A familiar blonde boy poked his head inside and asked him.

"Um, sure, please come in." Sasuke said as he got into a sitting position.

"Hello, I'm Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto." The blonde said as he came near his bed and offered a hand.

Sasuke shook it and smiled. He finally recalled who the boy was. "My name's Uchi… My name's Sasuke." He did not tell his surname because deep inside he knew he was already an outcast and his parents no longer wanted him.

 **"An Uchiha, huh?"** Kurama said through Naruto's mind. She immediately perked up when she heard the boy mention Uchi. She knew it was Uchiha if he finished it. The boy also looked familiar as he strongly resembled the human being she hated the most.

"I finally got to know you. I've always wanted to get to know you, you know?"

"Oh, wow. Really?"

"Yeah. I saw you a couple of times being chased by a mob. I'm so sorry about that, I really wanted to help you, you know? I know you're not a demon despite what they say…"

"Nevermind that. You do not have to apologize. You did me no wrong."

"But I really wanted to help! Hmmpf, I'm thinking Sasame was right. I'm too weak. And if I'm too weak, I cannot help myself and others."

"Hey, we're still young. We can still get stronger."

"Hmmm, you're right. Anyway, I'd like to ask you if you'd like to be friends with me."

"Friends? Of course! I like friends! You know, someone once told me that having friends also means having someone to motivate you to become stronger so you can protect them."

"That's great then!" Sasuke cheered happily. He now noticed three other people who entered the room after Naruto. "Oh, I'm so sorry I haven't been talking to you."

"Oh! It's alright! Don't worry about it." Mio and Miho said. _"A polite Uchiha besides Tobi? Now that's new."_ They both thought as they looked at the boy.

"H-hello… I-I'm Hinata." The girl said as she stuttered a little.

"Hi! I'm Sasuke. I remember you, you're also from Konoha."

"Y-yes. B-but I'm no longer wanted there. And I've already decided I'm staying here."

"You too, huh?"

"Yeah. So your clan also banished you?"

"Pretty much, yeah. I guess I can also call this place my new home now." He said as he looked at Naruto. "Where are we?"

"Hmmm, I guess I can trust you… We are in Uzushiogakure no Sato. And this village is literally hidden since no other village know it still exists."

"Still exists?"

For the next hour, with the two promising not to tell anybody, Naruto spent the time by explaining to Sasuke and Hinata the story about Uzushiogakure including Konoha's betrayal and the village's supposed downfall back during the war. Mio and Miho excused themselves earlier to check on their mother.

"Wow. I knew there was something wrong in Konoha. And I was right. They are players and traitors. And wow, Naruto, your clan must be very strong to be able to defeat three armies."

"Hmm, I guess so."

Their thoughts were interrupted when they heard their stomachs growl.

"Heheh. We're all hungry. I know a good place where we can eat! Follow me!" Naruto said as he led the two out of the hospital and headed to Ichiraku's.

 **Uzukage Office**

"So Naruto-kun's awakened the Rinnegan." Minato said as he leaned on a wall.

"Yes. But it's been dormant. I could not sense it in him as active. I do not know what exactly happened. I need to watch the memory." Kushina replied as she massaged her head while she set behind the desk.

"We need to ask Hinata for it."

"Yes, we will. But the girl has yet to recover first. She's been through a traumatizing incident."

Naruto's siblings were also inside the room listening to their parents' conversation. They were worried about their younger brother as well. They had been trying to figure out Naruto's case of Rinnegan.

 **Ichiraku's**

Naruto led Sasuke and Hinata out of the hospital and started to walk towards his favorite restaurant. Along the way, he saw Fu near someone's garden and was watching the insects.

"Yo, Fu Nee-chan!"

Fu looked up and saw her little brother and two other kids with him. "Hello, Naruto-kun. Where are you going?"

"We're going to Ichiraku's. Nee-chan, meet my new friends, Hinata and Sasuke. Hinata, Sasuke, this is my sister Fu."

"Hello, Hinata-san, Sasuke-san, it's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too."

"Nee-chan, would you like to come with us?"

"Alright. Let's go."

The four children talked along the way to Ichiraku's. As they got there, Naruto was the first to enter the restaurant.

"Good afternoon, Teuchi-san!"

"Oh! Good afternoon, Naruto-sama!"

"Teuchi-saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan! I thought you said you'll no longer call me that!"

"Haha! I'm just kidding, Naruto-kun. Ayame-chan! Come out here! Look who visited us today!" The restaurant owner said as he called for his daughter over the counter.

"Oh! It's you, Naruto-kun!" Ayame said as she came out of the kitchen. "And you brought friends!"

"Yeah! They are new here to Uzushio."

"Excuse me, Naruto-kun." Teuchi said as he turned to his daughter. "Ayame-chan, you're relieved for the day. Accompany Naruto-kun and his friends."

"That's great! Thanks Teuchi-san!" Naruto cheered happily as they found a table for five persons. "This is Fu. We're not blood related but I consider her as my sister." Naruto said while indicating a little bit on his stomach, silently telling Ayame the message so Hinata and Sasuke won't know. At least he would not tell them yet.

"Oh, I see. That's nice. I'm Ichiraku Ayame. It's a pleasure meeting you, Fu. So what number are you?" Ayame asked Fu while winking.

Fu's eyes widened as she realized what Ayame was asking her. She smirked at her as she replied, "Seven."

"This is Sasuke and Hinata. They are also from Konoha. While Fu's from Taki."

Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, Fu, and Ayame spent the afternoon sharing stories about their lives back from their previous villages. They got closer to each other as they found themselves having each experienced an awful life. Although Fu had the worse while Naruto had the worst.

 **Konohagakure, Council Meeting**

The Hokage was now having a strong headache. If he had problems to worry about for the last few days, he was now facing more. Sarutobi have decided to call for another meeting regarding the events that has transpired last night, and also excluded the civilian council. He just wanted to talk to the shinobi council as the matters were more related to military than civil.

"Alright. Now let us get this started. Yesterday morning, two gate guards called for a medic team and had a woman admitted to the hospital. I also came to the gate when the team was summoned. From what the woman have said, she was from a travelling family that were also merchants. They got ambushed just a few kilometers away from our main gate. The ambushers, apparently, were not regular bandits. They were Kumo and Iwa rouge nin." The Hokage said as he blew on his pipe and stared at Hiashi.

"Hiashi. I want to know what happened about your clan." Sarutobi said. Although he had an idea it was about the Caged Bird Seal, he wanted to know more.

"The Hyuuga Elders and I have seen Hinata unfit as Heiress. An agreement was made that should she lost against Neji, a branch member, Hinata will be stripped off her title as Heiress and will be branded the Caged Bird Seal. The fight between the two occurred yesterday. She lost the fight and it was I myself who branded her with the seal. I proclaimed Hanabi as the new Heiress." He said as he straightened up on his seat and cleared his throat. "After the branding, I had two branch members escort her out. After the ceremony about Hanabi all Hyuugas returned to their own businesses. Only a few minutes passed, another member reported about the deaths of the two branch members. There was no sign of battle. We found their heads slit from their bodies. They had been killed silently. We figured that the killers had been inside the compound ever since the match started."

"Thank you for telling me that. Now Fugaku, tell me about your side. The murder of about thirty civilians happened near your compound." The Hokage said while glaring at the Uchiha head.

"Well, I was having a meeting with my wife. We were interrupted when some of the patrol reported to me about a recent slaughter of civilians that was near the marketplace. When they went to investigate, they spotted a group of Hyuugas along the way. They were told about the two murders before two of them spotted the ones responsible near the Uchiha Compound. They identified the three children the Iwa and Kumo nin got inside their bags. One of them being the kyuubi brat. When we chased after them, we were surrounded by more Kumo and Iwa nin and had to battle our way out since they were too many."

"So the woman was not lying then. Those rogues you fought were probably the ones responsible for killing her family."

"Yes. They mentioned something about us admitting a woman to the hospital. They threatened us of hitting the village so we had to fight them. By the time we killed every last one of them, the kidnappers were already too far away and we could not locate them."

"I see. So Kumo and Iwa have teamed up to kidnap one Hyuuga, one Uchiha, and our ultimate weapon. Shikaku?" Sarutobi said as he turned to the lazy head.

"Tsk. This is too troublesome. But I'll put this together… So… Last last week, we got a surprise raid from unknown attackers. The raid resulted multiple property damage and stolen important items, three elders put into a coma and the whole village got into an epidemic. The most notable part here is that the Namikaze and the Uzumaki Mansions were destroyed, and the Yondaime's face on the mountain was blown up. Back then, we had no idea who the attackers were. We had our suspicions on Kumo and Iwa since the jutsus that were used were pure Doton and Raiton. Kumo was also suspected because of their hate on Uzumaki Kushina for singlehandedly destroying their army. Iwa is also a candidate because of their hate on the Yondaime for also singlehandedly wiping out their army.

Then this incident happened yesterday. A travelling woman was admitted to our hospital because of rogue shinobi attacking her family and caravan. Night came, Kumo nin were spotted trying to flee with the Hyuuga Heiress and Fugaku-san's youngest son. Iwa nin were also spotted carrying the demon brat. They easily killed off civilians that were trying to attack the brat. The kidnappers were able to flee the village while Konoha nin followed them. As the Konoha nin tried to get to the kidnappers, they were ambushed by bandits that are now identified as Kumo and Iwa Rogue Nins. The Leaf had been forced to kill all nuke nins but the kidnappers had successfully fled back to their village with the children they took."

The Nara Head stopped and yawned lazily before continuing. "So to sum this up, Iwa and Kumo are probably working together and are the ones responsible for the raid."

"Yes. The chances for them being the suspects have been raised to ninety percent from seventy." The Hokage said.

"What are your plans, Hokage-sama? What are we going to do with Kumo and Iwa?"

"We cannot go into a physical confrontation yet. For now we will try to pressure them in political ways. We'll insist on them giving us back what they have taken. But we will also prepare for war. Just discreetly. I want everyone in active duty on high alert. All chuunin and jounin that has a genin team must double their training. As of this day, I want both Uchiha and Hyuuga Clan working together for the security. With the help of the Byakugan, trespassers will have a harder time sneaking in."

All clan heads nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, Shikaku Nara was silently thinking.

 _"Kumo and Iwa nin. They destroyed the Yondaime's monument as well as the Namikaze and the Uzumaki Estates. The kidnapping of Hyuuga Hinata and Uchiha Sasuke I could understand, since they came from two clans with the most powerful dojutsu here in Konoha. What bothers me here is that demon brat. Why would they want it? What would they gain? Aside from it being a demon, there must be something else."_

 **Chapter Nine End**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **1\. Thank you for your support.**

 **2\. Thank you for patiently waiting for Chapter 9. I hope you guys liked it.**

 **3\. Favorite, follow, and review! Also tell your friends about my awesome story so they can be enlightened! xD**

 **4\. For the next chapter, the three Jinchuurikis will finally meet! The Uzushiogakure ranking system will finally be explained, as well as the academy system. In the following chapters (Probably 10 or 11), the character developments will finally begin!**


	10. Chapter 10: The Madness Within

**Tobi and Deidera: YOSH! CHAPTER TEN IS HERE! AW YEAH!**

 **JRL: I would like to thank everyone for their support. Hopefully I'll be okay now. Anyway, here's Chapter 10 for you all :)**

 **Chapter Ten: The Madness Within**

 **Sunagakure, Kazekage Office**

"Are you kids ready?"

"Hai. Please, let us get to Uzushiogakure already. My headache's getting worse because of the Shukaku. It won't stop screaming." Gaara said impatiently as he scratched his head.

"Alright then." Minato replied as he chuckled. "Kazekage-dono, we will take good care of your children, so you have nothing to worry about."

"I know you will, Minato-san. I trust they will be in good hands and will learn a lot. And thank you." The Kazekage replied as he bid his children goodbye.

"Right then. Gaara, Temari, Kankuro. Hold hands." Minato ordered and waited for them to. Gaara was in the middle so Minato held Temari and Kankuro's other free hand and channeled his jutsu. A few moments later there was a flash of yellow and the Kazekage was left alone at his office.

 _"Soon, Sunagakure will rise higher than the Leaf. Konoha, you will pay for your crimes."_ The Kazekage thought as he sat down and returned to his paperwork.

 **Uzushiogakure, Uzukage Office**

The Uzukage along with her four older children were waiting for the arrival of the Kazekage's children.

"They should be here in a few moments. Where are Naruto-kun and Fu-chan?" She asked as she tapped at her desk. Everyone looked up as the door of the office opened and revealed Naruto and Fu with Sasuke and Hinata following behind.

Sasuke and Hinata have been already informed about Naruto and Fu's jinchuuriki statuses. Sasuke, Hinata, and Naruto have become easily attached to each other and were inseparable. Since they were all from Konoha, they had something that linked the three of them with each other. When Sasuke and Hinata were taught about the Tailed Beasts and the Jinchuurikis, they immediately understood their kind of situation. They felt sorry for the jinchuuriki as their life was harsh and had to endure something great at a young age. Thankfully, they also figured out that the jinchuurikis were not harmful and were not the tailed beasts themselves. As they thought more about it, they realized that the description about them could be related with Naruto and Fu. After a while, the two newcomers were summoned at the Uzukage's office and were informed about her two children's jinchuuriki status. Sasuke and Hinata, thankfully, did not become hostile after and became friendlier with Naruto and Fu. This made the two jinchuurikis happy and made their bonds stronger together. Now that another jinchuuriki was coming, they now know something about their kind.

"Sorry we're late." Naruto grinned as they entered the room. "Where are they?"

Just as he asked his question, there was a flash of yellow and out came his father along with three children. One of them was a girl with a fan on her back. One was a boy who looked like a cat because of his clothing, and the last one was a red haired boy who radiated an aura and had dark circles around his eyes. As the four newcomers got familiar with the new place, Naruto was the first to greet them.

"Hello! Welcome to Uzushoigakure! The name's Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, the future Uzukage! Believe it!" Naruto cheerfully said making the other people in the room smile.

"Hello, I'm Kankuro." The catman said as he offered a hand.

"Wow! Seriously, for a moment I thought you were a half cat with make-up…" The blonde muttered as he shook hands with him. Kankuro sweatdropped while his siblings tried not to laugh but failed at it.

"Hahaha! Woah, cutie. I like you already. I'm Subaku no Temari." The girl said while she was still trying to stifle her laugh. "Commenting about Kankuro's looks at first sight! Hahaha! I like you, yes I do."

"Hehe, sorry about that Kankuro-san."

"Don't worry about it. Everyone thinks he is a catman with make-up." The red haired boy said as he tried to quit laughing. "I'm Subaku no Gaara." The two young jinchuurikis shook hands as they shared their laughter.

The Kazekage's children were acquainted with the other people in the room after their interaction with Naruto. The Uzukage formally welcomed them to Uzushiogakure and they got into a friendly conversation. As the Uzukage's children were talking with the Uzumaki-Namikaze family members, a certain someone was screaming for bloody murder.

Naruto was telling them a story when suddenly he became silent. Naruto and Fu got tense and stared at Gaara.

 **"Naruto-kun / Fu, there's something wrong. Gaara has something sealed inside him aside our brother Shukaku."** Chomei and Kurama both said to their hosts.

The Uzukage noticed her son's tensed stance and inquired.

"Naruto-kun, what's wrong?"

Naruto stared at his mother and was not able to respond, only giving her a scared look. This made the Uzukage, Minato, and Naruto's siblings alert.

"Your head hurts, doesn't it? And you're also sleepy." Naruto asked the red haired boy, making him widen his eyes in surprise.

"How did you know?" Gaara asked.

"Kurama-chan and I can feel it. Shukaku's screaming, we can almost hear it. Something off is radiating."

"Yes. Chomei says the same thing." Fu added.

"Kaa-chan, something is wrong. We need to get Gaara-san into an open area where there are no people. NOW."

The Uzukage understood what her son meant and immediately called for the STORM hidden inside the office. "I want two sealing teams at the Sealing Ground One immediately."

Minato made two clones and had one of them Hiraishin Hinata and Sasuke out of the office and brought to the mansion while the other clone went for Mio and Miho.

"Tou-san, we're coming. We'd like to help." Minako and Narumi said.

"Hey, what's going on?" Temari asked, now worried.

"Shukaku and another one is going out of Gaara-san." Replied Naruto.

"Another one?" Kankuro asked, completely baffled.

"Yes." Fu replied.

Just then, Gaara screamed in agony while he clutched his head. Minato grabbed him and quickly Hiraishined to Sealing Ground One. Kushina followed and vanished in a red flash. Minako grabbed Naruto and Fu while Narumi took Kankuro and Temari's hands. They followed the Uzukage and Hiraishined out of the office.

 **Sealing Ground One**

Sealing ground one is a huge open space meant for sealing tailed beasts and keeping them at bay. It has been applied with numerous amounts of seals in order to suppress a tailed beast's chakra and to keep it from rampaging. The place is located on another island away from the village for added safety.

Minato quickly put down Gaara in the middle of the island where a hexagonal seal was drawn. As soon as Gaara touched the floor, the seals in the island began to glow. The hexagonal seal in the middle rose and formed a prism, holding the red haired boy in a grip-like hold but not hurting him.

The Uzukage appeared in a red flash followed by Naruto and the others. A few moments later eight more people came via shunshin.

 **"BLOOD! YES! BLOOD! KILL THEM ALL! PROVE OUR EXISTENCE!"** Gaara screamed in pain and lost consciousness. This caused the Shukaku to come out of his seal faster.

 **"FREEDOM! YES! BUWAHAHAHAHA! TIME TO KILL! YES! LET US KILL SOME FILTHY MORTALS! BUWAHAHAHAHA-ACK! WHAT IS THIS?!"**

 **"GET THIS SEALS OFF! AAAACK!"**

 **"WE CANNOT BE FULLY AWAKE WITH THESE SEALS!"**

 **"'WE?' What is this?"** Kurama wondered. **"I can feel another presence. It's the same one earlier. It's not from the boy. It radiates from Shukaku himself."**

 **"Yo, sis."** Chomei said as Naruto and Fu got linked. **"The aura doesn't feel like it's immortal."**

 **"Yes. It's only mortal… but powerful. I wonder."**

"Prepare to knock out the Shukaku!" The Uzukage ordered as she, Minato, Minako, Narumi, and the eight other STORM got into a double hexagonal formation with the beast at the middle. Kankuro and Temari were ordered to keep distance as they restrained the giant raccoon.

 **"Uzumaki Art: Double Hexagonal Seal!"**

 **"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I JUST WOKE UP! MY EXISTENCE! I HAVE TO PROVE MY EXISTENCE!"** Shukaku bellowed as a double hexagonal seal lit up. From the twelve people's positions, a different colored beam shot out of the sky and connected forming two hexagonal prisms. One inside and another one bigger outside. The prism started to move towards the middle as it slowly shrunk, encasing the one tailed beast and causing it to lose hold.

 **"LET US OUT! WE NEED TO PROVE OUR EXISTENCE!"**

 **"DIEEEEEE YOU FILTHY MORTALS! I SHALL PUNISH YOU WITH THE LIGHT! AAACK!"** It stopped screaming as its head hit the ceiling of the prism and got pushed down. The prism glowed a brighter color and more seals appeared inside the prism. The Ichibi tried to fight but was overpowered by the seal. After a few minutes it lost consciousness and returned back inside Gaara's seal. The prison remained active for about three more minutes to make sure the Ichibi was resealed back inside and will go to sleep.

Gaara woke up a few minutes after the seals went off. Temari and Kankuro was immediately by his side and was fussing over him.

"Okay, whoever did your seal, he or she really sucked." Naruto commented as he too got near Gaara.

"The seal was faulty. The one who did it must have been a low level sealer or probably wanted Gaara dead." Minato told the Subaku Siblings while Kushina applied some healing seals on Gaara.

"Gaara, how are you feeling now?"

"I'm fine now. Thank you, Uzukage-sama. The Shukaku has gone silent now. I think it's asleep."

"Let's go back to the village. I want you and your siblings to stay at the hospital for a while as we check on your health conditions. We will also have your seal checked so we can begin overwriting it as soon as possible."

They all returned to the village and the Subaku Siblings were confined to the hospital for a few hours before they got released. Gaara was placed inside a room with seals to keep the Shukaku at bay and not bother him. Sasuke, Hinata, Naruto, and Fu visited the red haired boy and they shared stories. Meanwhile, Chomei and Kurama was having a conversation through their hosts' mental links. They were discussing about the strange entity they felt earlier when their brother Shukaku got out from Gaara's seal. They noticed that the beast was talking strangely and was saying "we" instead of "I". They didn't fail to take note when he screamed something about punishing mortals with the Light. It was just not him. They knew Shukaku never talked like that.

 **Kumogakure**

It was a normal day at Kumogakure. The villagers and shinobi were doing their own businesses when one of the glasses of the Raikage's office exploded followed by what looked like a human being tossed out. Everyone in the village could almost hear their leader's angry outburst.

"WHAT?! WHAT DO MEAN YOU DO NOT HAVE THE HEIRESS?!"

Mabui, the Raikage's assistant, can also be heard trying to calm her boss down so the whole village won't have to hear him.

"Raikage-sama, please, you need to calm down. And please put down Jay down. He's going to die from suffocation."

The Raikage just grunted in response but thankfully he put down the Kumo Kidnapper Captain.

 **Raikage Office**

The Raikage took a deep breath and ordered his shinobi to report.

Jay coughed up a bit and straightened himself before taking a long breath.

"Report. We were successfully able to infiltrate Konoha without any problems. We got inside the Hyuuga Compound and saw it empty. We waited in the shadows for some time and finally saw the Heiress unconscious carried by two Hyuuga slaves. Two of us followed them and silently killed the two Branch Members and then placed the Heiress inside the bag. We got outside the Hyuuga Compound without any problems and immediately headed for the way out. As we were escaping, the alarms went on and we found ourselves cornered near the Uchiha Compound. Before we got cornered, we bumped into one of the Uchiha heir, we also had him knocked unconscious and placed inside our sack for bonus. As we prepared to fight, we also found two Iwa nins, one of them carrying an unconscious boy. The leader of the two asked for a team up as we escaped Konoha. She figured that we were also kidnapping someone and didn't give a thing about it as long as we helped each other out. I agreed and both of our teams battled together against Konoha nin and some civilians who decided to get in our way. We easily wiped them out and managed to escape to the forests. We lost the pursuers for some time but they were able to catch up on us as we got near the Fire Border. There we decided to halt and face our pursuers. As we prepared for a fight, they were able to snatch the children we were kidnapping and we had to chase after them. We followed them and found ourselves cornered by more Konoha nin. We battled for a good ten minutes and destroyed the forest in the process. In the end, we got our tenketsu points sealed off by the Hyuuga and we got overpowered by the Uchihas' sharingan. Before we lost consciousness we saw the Konoha nin get killed. When we woke up, we found their dead bodies and the children we were kidnapping gone. My team suspected Iwa of treachery but decided to call it off as we saw them as confused as we were when we woke up. We all woke up the same time and searched the area for some traces but found none. In the end we decided to call the search off and go our separate ways and go back to our own villages."

"So that's it? That's how you lost your captives?"

"H-hai. Raikage-sama." Jay replied nervously as he could feel his boss' killer intent leaking again.

"Bro, you need to calm down. I don't want you to throw out another fool outside. These poor fools are saying the truth. I know because I am Killer Bee the Jinchuuriki of the Hachibi. Yeah, baby." Raikage's brother, Bee, said while rapping.

"Hmmm, I wonder who killed those Konoha-nin?"

"We do not know yet, bruthah. Hachibi says he's also trying to figure it out yo."

Their meeting was interrupted when the door flew open revealing a panting jonin who looked nervous.

"Raikage-sama, forgive me for the sudden intrusion. But I got urgent news. We just received a letter from the Hokage delivered by one of their fastest messenger birds." The jonin said as he shakily handed the letter to the Raikage.

The Raikage took the scroll and glared at the jonin.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Get the hell out of here!" The Raikage shouted as he grabbed the poor jonin and threw him outside his office by the glass window.

Killer Bee watched in amusement as the jonin got thrown outside. He took out a notepad and began writing rhymes on it.

 **Iwagakure**

 **Tsuchikage Office**

The Tsuchikage was happily waiting inside his office when he heard that his granddaughter and her partner have returned from their mission. His happy face immediately fell when Kurotsuchi entered the office with a smug look, followed by Akatsuchi who looked nervous.

"Do I need to ask that you do not have the boy?" Ohnoki looked at his granddaughter with a frown.

Kurotsuchi didn't respond but instead sat by the chair opposite her grandfathers'.

"Tsuchikage-sama." Akatsuchi said as he bowed. Ohnoki nodded in response and motioned for him to take a seat.

"Alright, tell me what happened."

"Report. We managed to get inside the Fire Country without any problems. We made camp near Konoha's forests and had four clones scout the village. By nightfall we took down our camp and infiltrated the village. As we got inside we immediately saw a huge mob chasing after a boy. That boy was our target, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto. Kurotsuchi immediately sprung in action to help, attacking the mob and summoning a dome to protect the boy. I rushed by her side and fought the civilians. We had to kill them since we could not risk the boy getting harmed. And they were also bent on trying to murder us two as well. We easily killed the mob and urgently headed out. As we got near the Uchiha Compound, we found ourselves face to face with a team of Kumo Shinobi who happened to be kidnapping the Hyuuga Heiress and the Uchiha Head's youngest son. We got cornered by more civilians who tried to fight us and by some Konoha nin who were chasing the Kumo-nin. We easily killed them off as we have decided to team up. We got outside to the forests and were pursued by Konoha nin. As we got near by the Fire Border, we decided to fight our pursuers. They managed to snatch the children from our grasps and we had to chase after them. We got surrounded by more Konoha nin and battled them for a good ten minutes. We destroyed the forest in the process but in the end we got defeated by the combined power of the Byakugan and the Sharingan. Before we lost consciousness, we saw the Konoha nin get slaughtered. When we woke up, we found their dead bodies but there was no sign of the children we were kidnapping. We searched for them but found no trace. Kurotsuchi and I suspected Kumo of treachery but decided to call it off as we realized they were as just confused as we were. Both our teams woke up at the same time. In the end we decided to part ways and head back to our own villages."

"I see. Hmmm, I wonder... Curious… Very curious… Could be Konoha trying to misguide us." The Tsuchikage murmured to himself while the two watched him.

He was interrupted from his thoughts when he heard a knock. The knock sounded urgent so he immediately ordered for the person to get inside the office.

"Tsuchikage-sama. Urgent message from Konoha. It was brought by one of their fastest messenger birds." The jonin said as he handed his leader a scroll.

"Thank you." Ohnoki said as the jonin nodded and exited the room. He unsealed the scroll and began reading it.

 **Konohagakure**

 **Hokage Office**

"Hokage-sama. The messenger birds have returned. They have gotten our messages." A figure said as he kneeled. The Hokage was facing the window while he blew on his pipe.

"Good. Now, I want you to find Jiraiya and tell him to see me immediately." The Hokage replied without looking at the ANBU.

"Hai."

 **Flashback, Last Night**

 _"Raikage-dono / Tsucihkage-dono,_

 _I regret to inform you that I am deeply offended by your recent actions. To attack Konoha during a time of peace is simply outrageous. When you raided the village we were obviously caught off guard and were surprised. And to add to the fact that you took some of our scrolls, the Uzumaki and the Namikaze Clans' scrolls, to be exact. You also had the gall to blow up the Yondaime Hokage's Face and destroyed the Uzumaki and Namikaze Clans' mansions after you took what you wanted. We had our suspicions that Iwa and Kumo were the ones who did the raid on us but I decided not to press on it as I didn't want our villages to get into a misunderstanding. But now that you have returned and decided to kidnap important people from our village, I can no longer ignore the fact that you have committed great offenses against us._

 _I am a peaceful man. I wish to keep the peace between the Five Great Nations. I hope you feel the same. Konohagakure would be very grateful if you returned the items and people that you have taken. I would also like to let you know that I, the Sandaime Hokage, still respects the treaty and wishes for it to continue. Return what you have taken and Konohagakure will forget about the recent events._

 _Sarutobi Hiruzen,_

 _Sandaime Hokage."_

The Hokage straightened up as he finished writing the letters addressed to the Iwa and Kumo leaders.

"Shikaku, I would like you to read this and tell me if it is alright."

The lazy Nara Head yawned and thought it was too troublesome but took the letter from the Hokage and read it anyway.

"Hmmm. Seems fine to me. The threat is still there even if it is hidden."

The Hokage nodded and looked at Shikaku. "Tell me, what do you think shall we do if they do not return them?"

"We cannot go into physical confrontation at the moment. So our best move against them would be politically. We'll try to drag other nations to this and ask them for help. We'll try to pressure them as much as possible. We'll threaten to cut off trades and routes if they do not cooperate. That should work."

"That's a bit risky." Sarutobi commented.

"Risky, yes. But it is our best option." Shikaku shrugged as he told the Hokage. "By the way, Hokage-sama, how are the talks going with Suna?"

"Suna hasn't responded to any of our messages ever since the raid."

"You don't think-?" Shikaku said, not finishing the sentence as it was already obvious.

"I hope not, Shikaku. If Suna is also involved, then I'm afraid to say that Konoha would be at a disadvantage. We could take on two villages at the same time. But if you'll make it three, we will have problems. Even if we say we have allies, fighting against three of the Five Great Nations will be difficult. That's unless we ally with Kirigakure."

"An alliance with Kiri would be beneficial if Suna is really our possible enemy now."

"Yes. I'll look into that. I'll start making preparations for a possible alliance between Konoha and Kiri. For now let us hope that Kumo and Iwa return what they have taken from us." Sarutobi said, deciding to finish the meeting. "Shikaku, have these letters sent by our fastest messengers birds." The Hokage ordered as he finished sealing the scrolls. One copy for the Raikage, and another one for the Tsuchikage.

"Hai. Good night, Hokage-sama. I'll see you again tomorrow."

"Good night, Shikaku." Sarutobi said as the Nara Head exited the office. The Hokage cleaned up his desk and also got out of the office for bed.

 **Flashback End**

 **Uzushiogakure**

"We will have to set the Shukaku free. We will contain it while we erase the seal from Gaara. After erasing the seal we will immediately perform the Double Hexagonal Sealing on him so the Shukaku won't bother Gaara too much when he gets sealed once again." The Uzukage explained to Gaara and his siblings with Naruto and Fu also there listening.

"Kaa-chan. Kurama-chan says she's got something important to tell you." Naruto said as he waited for his mother's response.

"Alright, what is it?"

Naruto closed his eyes and concentrated, letting Kurama take over for the moment so she could relay the message easier.

 **"Kushina. When my brother Shukaku got out of his seal earlier, Chomei and I noticed something. Shukaku was talking in a manner he shouldn't be. He was talking about himself but saying "we" instead of "I". He also mentioned something about purging mortals with the Light. Shukaku was never the religious type. There was something else in him."**

 **"Yes."** Chomei said through Fu who also joined in the conversation. **"If I recall correctly, Shukaku's first jinchuuriki was a priest. And the seal was unstable. Ever since, Shukaku changed and became weird."**

 **"From what we have observed, Shukaku's probably channeling the spirit of his first jinchuuriki. It is also possible that a part of the priest's soul has been sealed within Shukaku's mind as the seal was a failure."** Kurama said. **"If we're going to unleash Shukaku, we must extract the priest from him first before we reseal him back inside Gaara."**

Kurama and Chomei finished, switching back and allowing Naruto and Fu regain control of their bodies.

"So the story about the priest is true then." Kushina said to herself. "Has the priest always been mad?" The Uzukage asked.

"Kurama-chan says she's not sure."

"Alright. So we will have to extract the priest from Shukaku first before we reseal him inside Gaara."

"Excuse me." Gaara interrupted. "I can feel the Shukaku stirring. I think he is about to wake up."

"Alright then. We will do it in ten minutes. I'll have some people come over to assist."

"Kaa-chan. I would like to watch. I want to be there with Gaara for some support." Naruto requested to his mother while doing the **Puppy Eyes Jutsu** making his mother's heart melt.

"Alright, Naruto-kun. Just stay on a distance when the process start, alright?"

"Alright. Thanks Kaa-chan." The boy replied and hugged his mother.

"Ummm. Can I come too?" Fu said.

 **Ten Minutes Later, Back to Sealing Ground One**

"Gaara, are you ready?" The Uzukage asked as the boy laid down with his shirt off making the seal on his stomach visible.

"Hai, Uzugake-sama. Please begin."

The Uzukage nodded to the STORM in the island signaling them to get ready as she made hand seals.

 **"Fuin: Release!"** She said as she slammed her palm on Gaara's seal, making it glow. The Uzukage also applied a sleeping seal on Gaara to help Shukaku get out faster. Within a few minutes the Ichibi have finally got out. Gaara was immediately brought to a safe distance and was surrounded by STORM where two of them were erasing his current seal.

 **"BUWAHAHAHAHA! YES! FREEDOM, AT LAST! NOW, WE CAN PROVE OUR EXISTENCE! WAHAHAHAHA!"** The Ichibi cackled madly as it began scanning its surroundings. It sensed the other living beings in the island and immediately headed to the location where the Uzukage was waiting.

 **"HAHAHAHA! WE FOUND YOU, MORTAL! YOU SUCK AT HIDING! MUWAHAHAHA! NOW, TIME TO PROVE OUR EXISTENCE… DIE, MORTAL! DIE BY THE LIGHT! MUWAHAHAHA!"** It laughed madly as it opened its mouth gathering chakra. The Uzukage immediately recognized it as a Bijudama. She activated her Rinnegan and waited for the attack to be unleashed at her.

 **"Gakido (Petra Path)."** The Uzukage called as the Bijudama headed towards her. She held out her palms as the Tailed Beast Bomb neared her. A vacuum-like sphere appeared in front of her palms and began sucking the energy ball. The Bijudama began to shrink as it got sucked by the Gakido.

 _"Ughh. This is too much chakra."_ The Uzukage thought as the ball got fully absorbed. She now felt dizzy and heavy.

 **"WHAAAAAAAAAT?! YOU ABSORBED IT! AWWW, NEVERMIND. WE WILL SEE IF YOU CAN ABSORB ANOTHER ONE!"** The demon laughed as it began to create another tailed beast bomb.

The Ichibi blasted it towards the Uzukage and once again she tried to absorb it but as it got smaller, about one-fourth the size of it before, it exploded, sending her flying away and crashing into a wall.

 _"I am such an idiot. Note to self: The Petra Path isn't that effective against Bijudamas."_ Kushina thought as she scrambled up. She now released the chakra she absorbed earlier and felt light again.

 _"Here it comes…"_ She thought as the Ichibi found her and roared towards her.

 **"YOU'RE STILL ALIVE? ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!"** It forgot about making another tailed beast bomb and simply decided to attack the Uzukage using physical attacks.

Kushina dodged a tail swipe that was aimed towards her destroying the wall in the process.

"Alright. You wanna play, huh?" She said as she unsheathed her katana.

"Now, Ichibi-san, let me show you why I'm called the Red Death." She smirked and began laughing maniacally. "Let's dance." She said as she bowed and vanished.

The Uzukage began slashing and stabbing at the Ichibi at random spots, vanishing and reappearing with a flash of red. This infuriated the Ichibi making it roar in frustration.

"Now, to level up this dance session…" She said as she produced three shadow clones. The four Kushinas charged at the demon and began attacking it relentlessly while the Shukaku got annoyed and started shooting small tailed beast bombs at random locations hoping it will hit the mortal attacking it.

 **"WAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WE CANNOT LOSE TO A MORTAL!"** It roared in frustration as the Uzukage continued on with her dance.

 _"Great. I'll just have to tire it so I could begin with the extraction."_ She thought as she made five more clones and had them attack the Ichibi using the five different elements.

The battle have been ongoing for ten minutes now.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, Naruto was watching the STORM as they finished erasing the current seal drawn on Gaara. They were now preparing to place a new and stable seal on him.

"I wonder how Kaa-chan is doing." Naruto said as he looked at the other side of the island where explosions are coming from.

"She'll be fine." Fu, who was also watching said. Chomei insisted on her coming as she was curious about the new seal the Uzu people were going to apply on Gaara.

Then without warning, Naruto just dropped to the floor unconscious.

"Naruto-kun!" Fu shouted in panic as she tried to wake the boy.

Suddenly, Naruto began floating with his head hung low. The STORM who was with them watched in awe and fear as Naruto opened his eyes, revealing purple ringed ones.

 **"By the gods…"** Chomei said as she watched the scene happen through Fu's eyes.

 **Fu's Inner Mindscape**

 **"What the-? How come I can see Naruto-kun on a different point of view?"** Kurama asked herself and looked around. She noticed that she was on a different place.

 **"Who's there? How come you're inside Fu's mind?"** A voice said.

 **"Chomei-kun?"** Kurama asked, recognizing her sister's voice.

 **"Kurama nee-chan. What are you doing here? How is this possible?"**

 **"I do not know…"**

 **Outside Fu's Mindscape**

Everyone in the area was now shaking in fear as Naruto was radiating a very powerful aura.

 **"Fear not."** Naruto said as he made the peace sign towards the STORM. His voice sounded deep and ancient and echoed. **"Return to your work. The seal must be ready when I extract the priest from my son."**

 **"What in the world-?"** Kurama and Chomei both said as they watched the scene unfold. Naruto then began floating towards the area where his mother and the Ichibi were battling.

 **"Fu! Follow him!"** Chomei said as she channeled her chakra out for Fu. The girl then grew wings and flew after Naruto.

 **Kushina's POV**

Kushina had been battling the Ichibi for twenty minutes now and noticed that her attacks were doing little damage. Every time she lands a hit on the Ichibi, a whitish aura comes out of it. She figured that it was some kind of shield. After some time, she found out that it was probably the "Light" that the priest inside Shukaku that was talking about that was protecting it as she could not recognize it as one of the Ichibi's powers.

As she prepared to launch another wave of attack, she felt a very strong chakra signature approaching towards her. She looked at its direction and found her son floating with Fu following after him. She was very shocked as she saw her son's eyes. She found herself unable to move as her son touched her face.

 **"My child, let me handle this. Bring the boy here and prepare to reseal my son inside him. I will be the one to extract the priest from Shukaku."**

 **Normal POV**

Naruto did not wait for a reply and immediately floated towards the Ichibi.

 **"WHAT IS THIS?! RAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"**

 **"Time for you to go to the afterlife. You have prolonged your stay in this realm. Leave my son be."** Naruto said as he floated towards the Shukaku's head and held out his hand.

 **"Ningendo (Human Path)."**

"Noooooooooooooo! I don't want to go there yet! I am protected by the lord's light! I shall stay here as he commands! I must prove my existence!" A voice said as Naruto began to pull out something that looked like a soul. Soon it materialized and formed into a bald man wearing a suit and tie.

 **"Seal: Hold."**

Naruto said as a ghost-like chain wrapped around the priest preventing it from moving.

 **"Kuchiyose: Shinigami."**

A huge spectral form appeared in front of him and bowed. Naruto nodded and held out his arm and motioned at the priest. The creature then bowed and floated towards the mad priest. The priest started to scream in panic as the Shinigami grabbed him. He was eaten and was locked inside its stomach the same way Minato experienced when he sealed the Kyuubi inside Naruto.

 **"Now, you are finally free of your burden."** Naruto spoke to the Ichibi as it started to stir. **"Sleep, my son. When you wake, you will be sealed inside Gaara once again. Be friends with him."** He said as his voice started to fade off.

Kushina, who was too dumbstruck did not move earlier to fetch Gaara. She was rooted at her spot and watched as her son talked in a different kind of way and extracted the priest out of Shukaku. Thankfully the STORM followed after Naruto and Fu and carried Gaara with them.

Kushina began to regain herself as she watched Naruto's aura began to weaken and return to normal. She was able to catch her son when he finally lost consciousness.

 **Fu's Mindscape**

 **"Oh, look. What is this?"** Kurama said as she felt a tugging sensation. **"I guess I'm going back inside Naruto-kun."**

Chomei, who was also dumbstruck wasn't able to respond as Kurama vanished and returned to Naruto's mind.

 **Outside Fu's Mindscape**

Everyone was staring at Naruto's unconscious form in disbelief. Most of the STORM were still shaken after witnessing the things he did earlier. They were awakened from their stupor as they heard the Shukaku roar.

"Everyone, on your positions!" Kushina said as she made a clone and had it carry Naruto away. Fu followed after them while the Uzukage and the STORM started resealing the Ichibi back inside Gaara.

 **"Uzumaki Art: Double Hexagonal Seal!"** Two hexagonal prisms appeared, one bigger and one smaller. The bigger one floated towards the Ichibi and trapped it inside while the smaller one floated towards Gaara and did the same thing. A double hexagonal seal appeared on the boy's stomach and connected with the two prisms. The bigger prism started to shrink as Shukaku was once again sealed inside Gaara.

The seal glowed brightly and slowly died out as the seal began to stabilize.

"We're done here. Everyone, come with me immediately to my office." The Uzukage said seriously as she made two clones and had the one carry Gaara and the other one go after Fu.

 **The Next Day**

 **Konohagakure**

The Hokage was puffing smoke with his pipe as he thought of words to write in his letter for the Mizukage. Shikaku, along with the other clan heads were also there present. They have been discussing about their planned alliance proposal with Kiri. They have been also waiting for a response from the Iwa and Kumo leaders.

Hiashi have already assured the other people in the room about the Caged Bird Seal. He told them about it being branded on Hinata. Konoha wouldn't have to worry about Kumo now discovering the Byakugan's secrets and making more by having Hinata used by Kumo as a breeding factory. The Uchiha, on the other hand have expressed their concerns about the Sharingan. Fugaku couldn't care less about his son but was worried about their Kekkei Genkai being stolen by other people not from Konoha.

The Hokage straightened up as he finished his letter and called for one ANBU and ordered it to have the letter delivered to Kirigakure. A few seconds after the ANBU left, there was a knock on the door. A jonin entered the room and handed Sarutobi a scroll.

The old monkey inspected it and found the Earth Seal inscribed on it, meaning it was from the Tsuchikage.

"Iwagakure has responded." The Hokage announced, calling the attention of everyone inside the room. He unsealed it and read it aloud for everyone in the room to hear.

 _"Greetings, Hokage-dono,_

 _First of all, I would like to inform you that I am deeply wounded by your words. You accused Iwa of attacking Konoha while my village has nothing to do about it. I too, am a man of peace. I do not wish war between the Five Great Nations. So I would like to tell you that Iwa is innocent._

 _Second, we have received intelligence about Iwa-nin near your village. I want Konoha to know that those shinobi are rogue and were no longer affiliated with Iwa when the attacks on your village happened. It could be possible that it was them who did it but once again, I tell you that Iwa has nothing to do about the offensive moves against Konohagakure_

 _I do hope that we could continue the peace between both our villages and clear some misunderstandings that have begun to form._

 _Ohnoki of Both Scales,_

 _Sandaime Tsuchikage."_

The Hokage finished reading and put the scroll down. He stared at the council before him and took a deep breath.

"Iwa has chosen to play as innocent." He remarked.

"Hai. We can just pretend that we did not receive the Tsuchikage's reply." Shikaku suggested.

"I was thinking of the same thing. Ignore the letter and send another one after a few days." Replied Sarutobi.

Just then, there was another knock on the door. The person was let inside and handed the Hokage another scroll.

"Hokage-sama, a message from Kumo." The jonin said as he presented a scroll with the Rai seal on it. The Hokage took it from the jonin and unsealed it, reading its content. Compared to the Tsuchikage's message, the Raikage's response was obviously more aggressive and straightforward.

 _"Hokage-dono,_

 _You are making grave accusations. Kumo does not like it. We may have tried something three years ago but raiding and stealing from Konoha is simply not our style. I have heard about the Yondaime's face getting blown up and the Namikaze and Uzumaki's belongings taken. Kumo has nothing to do with it. Feel free to visit Kumo and inspect every single area here and you will only find nothing._

 _Perhaps you should try considering looking for your lost items again. Search your whole village. I do not wish for our current status to go into an unfriendly state. As the Raikage, I only wish what's best for my village. And including that is not going to war._

 _Ay,_

 _Yondaime Raikage."_

Sarutobi just sighed and announced, "Kumo also wants to play innocent. But they are obviously hinting war."

"I think it would be best if we do not respond for now. Our top priority will be Kirigakure. We need to make a deal with the Mizukage. And fast." Shukaku stated, earning nods of agreement from the other clan heads.

"I did not expect them to respond like this. If we insist about them being guilty it will only give them reason to declare open war." The Hokage said. "For now we will need to contact Kiri and make an alliance with them as soon as possible."

"Hiashi and Fugaku, I am assigning you two as diplomats to Kirigakure. You will deliver the letter I will be writing and some gifts for them."

"Understood." The two dojutsu clan heads replied.

 **Uzushiogakure**

A day has passed since the incident about Naruto happened. The Uzukage immediately called for a meeting with the STORM that was present in the island. She made a strict order for them to keep everything a secret. They are not to tell anyone about what they saw. Kushina also spoke to Fu and also told her the same thing. The girl understood and agreed as Chomei also told her to keep things secret. Chomei and Kurama were still shocked about what happened and still needed time to think about it.

Naruto was currently at the Uzukage mansion, his room surrounded by three squads of STORM. Ever since his mysterious transformation yesterday, he still hasn't regained consciousness. His mother was now extremely worried for his well-being. Doctors are checking up on him twenty-four seven. Kushina also showed the memory of the events yesterday to her family. After watching the memory, Arashi left the room speechless while Minato, Minako, Narumi, Miho, and Mio remained inside the room with Kushina and discussed about it. Kaede left the room some time later after hearing Minato and Kushina suggest some theories and went to the library to check some books.

Gaara was now stable and had no memories of the events yesterday. He woke up in the morning feeling far better than before. He could hear the Shukaku peacefully snoring inside his mind. Gaara decided to try and contact his biju later. He was currently with his siblings Kankuro and Temari strolling around the village.

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Hinata were with Fu, currently at a private room in the library reading books about the Uzumaki Clan and the Sage of the Six Paths. The Uzukage have already explained to them about their clan's secret dojutsu and some information about it. So here they are, at the library reading for more information while waiting for their friend Naruto to recover since nobody was allowed to enter his room except the Uzukage, her husband, the former Uzukage, and the Head of the STORM.

 **Uzushiogakure Office**

A Kushina clone was currently doing paper work while her original was watching over Naruto. Minato was also at the office reading books about the Sage's connection with the Tailed Beasts, while he was also helping the Kushina clone at the same time.

Just then, a ripple of water appeared on the floor and on it a kneeling figure appeared.

"Uzukage-sama, we have received intelligence about Konoha contacting Kumo and Iwa. The Hokage planned on blackmailing them but apparently it backfired. Here are the copies of the message and their responses." The watery figure said as it took out four scrolls and handed it to the Uzukage.

The Kushina clone and Minato unsealed the scrolls and read them. After reading, the clone dispelled herself and transferred the memories to the original.

 _"Good. Kumo and Iwa will be acting cold against Konoha while the Leaf will do the same. Their relationship with each other will be now on thin ice that is about to break. When the time comes, it will be easier for Uzushiogakure to destroy them all at the same time."_ The Uzukage thought to herself as she waited for Naruto to wake up.

 **Chapter Ten End**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **1\. If you have some questions regarding the story feel free to message me and I will respond as soon as I can.**

 **2\. Thank you so much for your continued support. I hope you liked Chapter Ten: The Madness Within. I'll see you guys next chapter! Stay tuned.**

 **3\. Review, follow, and favorite. Also tell your friends about The Lost Maelstrom so they too can enjoy reading it! :)**


	11. Chapter 11: Oni no Kuni

**JRL: YO!**

 **Tobi: Yay! JRL is back!**

 **Deidera: Are we going to make an appearance here, hmmm?**

 **JRL: I don't know. Hehehe. Anyway I bring two great news!**

 **Tobi: Yay! What is it? What is it?**

 **JRL: The Lost Maelstrom finally has a cover photo!**

 **Tobi: Yay! Finally! After ten chapters you finally did a cover photo!**

 **Deidera: And what's the second great news? Hmmm?**

 **JRL: Chapter Eleven is here! Only a week has passed since Chapter Ten, and now here's a new chapter!**

 **Deidera: You're right, hmmm!**

 **JRL: *Grins proudly***

 **FOREWORD: I followed Halno's advice and changed the part relating about Dragons. I edited Chapter 7 since I realized that Halno was right. If I added Skyrim Lore then the story wouldn't be Japanese anymore. So I read about Japanese Mythology. And here it is. The God of Dragons in The Lost Maelstrom's renamed to Watatsumi, as based from Japanese Myth. The place, however, I couldn't find it in the internet, so I simply named the Place of the Dragons as Tera. Which means "temple" in Japanese. So yeah. I just wrote it here so it wouldn't cause confusion.**

 **About the cover photo, I made it with Photoshop. I do not own the pictures used there. The pictures I used and combined are (1) The Naruto Whirlpools, (2) Rinnegan, and (3) Rinnegan Final Form. I do not own them. The actual cover photo, however, I believe I can safely call it my own.**

 **JRL: Anyway, here's Chapter Eleven**

 **Chapter Eleven: Oni no Kuni**

 **Uzushiogakure**

A few days have passed since Gaara's seal had been fixed. Naruto woke up two days later with no recollection of what happened. The Uzukage then decided to keep it secret from him for his own good. Fu had been told not to tell Naruto and through their mental link, Chomei also told Kurama not to mention it to her host.

Life in Uzushiogakure became nicer for Naruto as he has now more friends around his age. There were also two jinchuurikis like him who will become a part of his life as he grows older. Naruto and his friends have started learning about the basic fundamentals of chakra with the help of some tutors. Since Naruto already knew about the basics, he along with Sasuke had been grouped with Temari and Kankuro for some history lessons and theories while they waited for the others to catch up.

 **Uzushiogakure, Academy**

The school semester will begin in a week. Naruto and the others have been enrolled and were currently taking an orientation. Their proctor was currently telling them about the ranking system.

"Now, here in Uzushiogakure, our standards are higher compared to the other schools from other villages. Students take seven years of studying in the academy. Those who just started school are called Academy Students. After three years as an Academy Student, they must take a test to be able to go to their fourth year. If they pass the test, they will be now registered to the village as genins. In their fourth year, students are teamed with other students. Each team consists of three genins and an instructor. Here they will now begin doing simple missions and apply everything they have learned in their first three years as an academy student while also learning to work with a team. During the first three months of their fourth year, the instructor will observe the team and see if they are compatible with each other. In this stage team members could still be changed if the instructor finds them incompatible. As they progress to their sixth year, they should be now prepared to do missions outside the village. In their seventh and final year, they will be now taking missions outside the village. Here they will be sent to other villages to spy, assassinate, steal, or deliver something. If they survive the year, they will now graduate the academy and will be registered with the rank of high genin or chuunin depending on their performance for their seven years." The proctor said as he stopped walking and faced Naruto and his group. "If you're confused, here is a brochure about the Level System." The proctor then gave them a leaflet about the ranking system.

Naruto and his friends took a copy and read.

 _"Year Level and Rank:_

 _Year 1 – Grade 1 Academy Student_

 _Year 2 – Grade 2 Academy Student_

 _Year 3 – Grade 3 Academy Student_

 _Year 4 – Grade 1 Genin_

 _Year 5 – Grade 2 Genin_

 _Year 6 – Grade 3 Genin_

 _Year 7 – Senior Genin_

 _Graduate – High Genin or Low Chuunin."_

"Are you guys finished? Good. Moving on." The proctor then opened the door and led them outside the room. The proctor then led them to a huge open area. "Here is our track and field area. Physical Education Classes are usually held here. Seals have been applied to the ground for changing the terrain depending on what kind of body training the class is having. For example, if I want to strengthen my resistance to cold…" The proctor then made hand seals and slammed his palms to the ground. The field then turned into a frozen field. Snow began to fall and the winds picked up sending chilling breezes. The proctor made a single hand seal and returned the terrain back to normal. "There. You guys got it? Good. Moving on."

Next they went to another huge open area. "Here is our school's Training Ground Number One. Ninjutsu Classes are usually held here. The grounds of this area had been applied with repairing seals. After every session, the ground automatically restores itself."

They moved on to the next and were now beside a lake. "This is our Training Ground Number Two, also used for Ninjutsu Classes. Here students also learn water walking and other things related to Suiton jutsus.

"Next is our Training Ground Number Three." The proctor then led them to a huge forest. "This is where students do the combined sparring, taijutsu, ninjutsu, kenjutsu, and other shinobi related things. Capture the flag, defend the base, capture the base, war games, stealth, and other things are done here. Like the Training Ground Number One, seals have been also applied here. The difference now is that the seals restore and reconstruct the area. Every week, the terrain changes to another so the students will get used to different kinds of unfamiliar areas and new ones." The proctor then said. "Imagine if the area doesn't change, that will be boring, right? We will get so used to it and learn nothing new. Now if the area changes, students will learn to adapt to new areas and it will be easier for them when they go outside on their seventh year. You guys get my point? Perfect. Now let us move on."

The proctor then led the group to a building. The building was huge with divisions for each section on it. "Here is our Dojo. This is where we learn Kenjutsu. During your years as a student, you will learn to use different kinds of weapons. You will be prompted to choose a primary weapon but you'd still be required to learn using everything. Alright. Let's move on."

The proctor then led the group back to the first building where they held the orientation. The group followed him to a room about the size of a regular class room. "Alright. This room is applied with seals that will transport us to another location." The proctor said as he activated a switch and the room glowed red as the seals activated. Soon the group found themselves on a very large clearing. On a far side there was a forest. On the other side there was a lake. Another side was a group of mountains with lava flowing down. On the last side were a huge gathering of storm clouds.

Naruto and his friends inspected their new area in awe and with interest.

"Where are we?" Asked Fu.

"My dear students, welcome to Training Ground Number Four. This is where you will be training with your summons. As you have learned from your Uzushiogakure orientation, all villagers, civilians and shinobi alike, are bound to a personal summon. For students, this is where we train with our summons. Here you will learn collaborating attacks with them, fighting with them, and also strengthening your bonds with them. Now, please follow me." The proctor said as they headed to the forest. After about ten minutes of walking, they stopped in front of a medium sized two storey cabin.

"Now, this is where our orientation ends." He said as the door of the house opened.

"Welcome, everyone. I hope you liked your orientation." A familiar voice said.

"Kaa-chan! Tou-chan!" Naruto squealed in excitement. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, since you're all new to Uzushiogakure and entering the academy, you'll need summons. We're here to have you sign your summoning contract." The Uzukage replied as she took out a scroll from her pocket.

"Alright!" Naruto exclaimed as he pumped his fist in the air. "What shall we do?"

Kushina just smiled at her son as Minato opened the door of the cabin and ushered the group inside. "We will have lunch first. Come in."

Naruto and his group followed inside and were amazed by the house. It looked more spacious compared to how it looked outside. They were also greeted by Naruto's siblings as they got into the dining area.

"Nee-chan, Nii-san! What are you doing here?" Naruto asked his siblings happily.

"Well, since you're finally having your contract with the Dragons active, we're here to accompany you." Minako replied.

"The ceremony requires all family members of the Uzukage's family present if one of them is signing the contract." Narumi explained.

"And besides, we can't miss our baby brother's initiation with the Dragon Clan, can we?" Mio and Miho both said.

"Alright, let's have lunch." Kushina said as servers entered the room carrying platters of food.

 **Sunagakure Outskirts**

A mild sandstorm was brewing at the desert. Sand dust flew all over as the winds picked up. A lone hooded figure could be barely seen as it walked hurriedly towards the city's walls. As it got nearer, it looked around and checked if there were sentries watching. Finding none, the hooded figure took out a kunai and a scaling rope with a hook from his robe. The unknown person walked nearer to the wall and prepared to throw the rope. Before the intruder could toss it up, he exploded into blood and gore.

 **Sunagakure**

 **Sunagakure Main Gate**

Three gate guards were stationed at the main gate. Two of them watched in a far distance as the sandstorm blew. The silence was broken when their other companion called for their attention as he saw the seal glow. There was a miniature city placed by the desk in the guard house. A certain part of the wall in the mini city was glowing red.

"Look! An intruder!" He said as he pointed at the glowing area. "Call for the ANBU!"

"Alright. You stay here." One of the two said.

"I'll report to the Kazekage immediately. You go to the ANBU." The other one said.

The two guards jumped off towards the village and left their other companion alone.

 **Sunagakure Hospital – Cremation Room, Twenty Minutes Later**

"We found his remains by the southern wall. Here are the spy's scrolls." An ANBU reported as the Kazekage took the scrolls and began to read some.

"Hmmm. So this one's from Konoha, eh? They have sent a spy since we were not responding to any of their messages. They would not leave us alone in peace."

"It's a great thing you and the Uzukage-sama did the protective seals, Kazekage-sama." Commented the ANBU captain.

"Indeed. The barrier has been very helpful. I'm so glad my predecessor did not mess with Uzushiogakure back during the war. Now we're benefitting greatly with them as our ally." The Kazekage sighed and walked to the door. "I'll be back to my office. If there are more of these spies report to me immediately."

"Hai." The ANBU replied as they prepared to burn the remains.

 **Konohagakure**

 **Flashback, the next day after the letters to Iwa and Kumo was sent.**

 **Hokage Office**

"So Suna hasn't responded to any of our messages?" A white haired man asked.

"Yes. They have been silent. I wonder what they are up to." Sarutobi replied as he puffed smoke.

"There is something else you should know." Jiraiya said.

"And that is?"

"I haven't received reports from any of our spies in Suna. None at all."

"That's troubling news. If they have discovered our spies, then we'll receive no intel regarding Suna and the Kazekage's movements."

"I'm thinking of sending another spy from the network. Our spies inside Suna may have not been discovered yet. It is possible that Suna could be on a lockdown at the moment. Konoha's treaty with Suna is known to most villages. It is possible that they are simply trying to keep to themselves at the moment in fear of getting hit by our mysterious enemies as well."

"Yes, you should send a new one inside. But if you're going to do that, you will need to send something with your spy that can immediately report back to us."

"A summoning toad can work."

"Yes. A small one though."

"Alright. I'll have the spy bring a toad with him when he infiltrates Suna."

 **Flashback End**

 **Present Time, Hokage Office**

The Hokage was currently reading an orange book and was giggling like a girl. He did not notice when a white haired man entered his office by the window.

"I see you liked my new book." Jiraiya commented as he sat opposite the Hokage's desk.

"Haha, yes. It has been quite some time since I've read your books." Sarutobi chuckled as he put down the Icha-icha book. "Whoever those attackers are, they probably hate you too."

"Whoever they are, I will never forgive them for destroying my masterpieces." The great white haired pervert sighed as he recalled that tragic night.

"Anyway, to business. You're back. Any news?" The Hokage asked as he lit his pipe and began puffing smoke.

"As a matter of fact I have. But I bring dire news."

Sarutobi just sighed and took a long inhale from his pipe. "Alright, tell me about it."

"I was summoned to Mount Myobokou just about fifteen minutes ago. The toads informed me that the toad I sent with the spy was killed. When it returned to Mount Myobokou, the toad was all blood and gore."

"How is that even possible?" The Hokage asked, horrified.

"Whatever happened to the toad, it must have been the same with the spy. They couldn't have discovered about the toad since it would have dismissed itself back immediately. They were most likely taken unawares, and by a very strong attack if they were turned into blood and gore."

"This is troubling news. We're not even sure if we could still trust them. They just shut us off. I can only hope that they are simply being overly cautious. But no, considering the things that have occurred, and as the Hokage, I must assume that they have gone hostile against us." Sarutobi said as he glared at the book he was reading earlier.

"Relax. You are being paranoid. And I understand why. But we cannot just assume that Suna has gone red against us. The Kazekage knows that they are no match against the might of Konoha."

"Oh. I don't know. You may be right. I'm being too paranoid. Or I may be right about Suna." The old monkey just sighed and puffed on his pipe once more.

The pervert sannin just shook his head and took out a book similar to the old monkey was reading.

 **Uzushiogakure, Cabin at the Forest**

The Uzumaki-Namikaze Family and Naruto's friends finished their lunch and headed back to the clearing where they came earlier. They formed into a circle as Kushina and Minato stood a distance away from the group.

"Are you guys ready?" Kushina asked.

"Yes!" Naruto and his group replied excitedly as the Uzukage took out the scroll from her pocket.

The Uzukage and Minato simultaneously bit their thumb and made hand seals and then slammed the ground.

 **"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"**

No less than five seconds later the area was now covered in smoke. Naruto and his friends waited for the smoke to disperse. When it did, they noticed that the ground looked darker. They soon realized that it was a shadow as it was moving. They looked up and were astounded when they saw the creature about five times bigger than the Kyuubi. It was floating in the sky and was encircling at them. Its beautiful scales gleamed as the sun's rays reflected at it. Its head was also a great sight to see as it had what looked like an amethyst crystal on the top of it between its long horns. Slowly it floated down and had its body encircle the area. The head lowered near Kushina and Minato and bowed at them.

 **"You have called."**

The couple bent down in one knee and bowed their heads. "Toyotama-hime."

Narumi, Minako, Mio, and Miho followed their parents' example and went down in one knee. Naruto and the others noticed and they too bowed.

 **"Rise."** The creature said.

Kushina and Minato did as ordered and spoke. "We have summoned you to ask you to take us to Tera. Here with us are new academy students in need of a partner. Also, my whole family is here to present Naruto, my youngest son, to your father, Watatsumi-sama."

 **"Naruto? The Lost Maelstrom?"**

"Yes, Hime."

 **"Oooh! How exciting! So you've finally found him."** The dragon said as it looked at Naruto. **"Come forward."**

Naruto gulped and stared at the creature.

"It's alright, Naruto-kun. Do not be afraid." Narumi said, encouraging her little brother.

Naruto then shakily walked forward and approached the dragon.

 **"It is alright my dear child, do not be afraid. I am Toyatama. The daughter of the Dragon God, Watatsumi."** The Princess then stared at the boy in silence. Nobody else dared interrupt or make a noise. After about three minutes, the dragon spoke again. **"For long we have waited… and now you're finally here."**

 **"Everyone, come to me."** She ordered and waited for the rest of the group to come near. **"Good. Now, I want you all to ride at my head. Sit down by the crystal."**

Minato and Kushina assisted the children getting up. They hopped on last and the dragon spoke once again.

 **"Good. Now, hold on tight. We are going to Tera."** Toyotama said as she uncoiled and floated to the heavens.

 **Tera, the Place of the Dragons**

 **"Welcome, my dear humans, to Tera, Land of the Dragons."** Toyotama-hime said as they flew past two huge mountains that were made of white crystals. Those who were new stared at the place in amazement. Everywhere they look, they could see different types of crystals and gems scattered all over the lands. There were lots of mountains and caves that they assumed were also filled with precious earthen materials. Finally they reached the topmost mountain of the place where there was a huge palace made of pure gold. The princess hovered by the balcony and let the humans disembark. She then bid them good bye for the moment and floated towards the top tower of the castle.

Naruto and the others were staring at the huge golden castle in awe. Soon about twenty guards marched out from the main gate and formed to an aisle and bowed. The guards were wearing armor that looked like scales and were also made of crystals.

 **"Welcome, newcomers. Welcome summoners. Watatsumi-sama's waiting for you. Please come in."** They all said in unison.

Kushina and Minato led the group while the guards followed behind. Soon they entered a huge throne room where a man wearing great armor also made of precious crystals sat on a golden throne. The man was wearing a crystal white crown and had horns that looked like a gem. He had a red-orange colored gemstone shaped into a hexagon on the middle of his forehead. His eyes were the same color as the crystal on his forehead. Next to him sitting was a beautiful woman wearing a long gown. The gown was made of small diamonds and mithrill all stitched and chained together. She was wearing an amethyst crown that also had horns. On her forehead was a hexagonal amethyst. There were also other people in the room also wearing clothing made of precious gems and crystals.

The group moved forward and Kushina and Minato bent in one knee. The others followed their example and also bowed.

 **"Rise."** The man on the throne spoke in a deep and powerful voice.

"Watatsumi-sama" Kushina and Minato murmured.

 **"My dear summoners. Welcome back to Tera. It has been a long time since the last time you visited."**

"We have been busy."

The Dragon King chuckled and replied, **"Ah, yes. I understand. Mortal affairs can be sometimes troublesome."**

Kushina and Minato laughed and then nodded.

 **"Hmmm, I heard from my daughter about the Lost Maelstrom. I would like to see him."**

"Of course, Watatsumi-sama." Kushina replied as Minato ushered Naruto forward.

The boy shakily walked forward and then bent in one knee.

 **"Rise, my dear one."** The king ordered and the boy followed.

 **"I am Watatsumi. The king and god of the Dragons. Sitting beside me is my daughter, Toyotama."** The king indicated at the beautiful woman as she smiled warmly at the boy.

The boy's eyes widened circles as he stared at the two in awe.

"Woah! You can turn into humans!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly making the two chuckle.

 **"Yes, my dear one. We dragons also have our human forms. In your world we appear as dragons. But here, we assume our human forms and do our daily businesses like you humans do."**

"Wow."

 **"Hmmm. Come closer, dear boy."**

Naruto did as ordered and presented himself to the king and the princess. Watatsumi stared at him in silence for some time. After a long silence, he stood up from his throne. Toyotama also stood up and followed her father's actions as he bowed to Naruto.

 **"For long we have waited…"** The dragon king murmured as he and her daughter bent in one knee to the boy.

The other dragons in human form who were in the room followed and bowed down.

Everyone, especially Naruto, was confused. Kushina and Minato were thinking hard as they do not remember the same thing happening to them or their other family members when they presented themselves to the dragon king.

 ** _"Could it be?"_** Kurama, Chomei, and Shikaku, who were watching through their hosts' eyes, wondered the same thing.

Watatsumi then once again stood up and the others followed.

 **"Welcome, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto."** The king said. The other dragons in the room said the same thing and then applauded.

 **"Aah. And now, the other new young ones. Please step forward."**

Fu and the others did as followed and bowed. The king inspected them all one by one. He stared at Fu and Gaara longer compared to the others.

 **"You have passed the test. You all are worthy of signing the Dragon contract."**

Everyone smiled happily while Naruto was a bit confused.

"What do you mean? What kind of test?"

The king simply chuckled at the girl while the princess smiled. It was Toyotama who answered her.

 **"The test was simple. We read through your hearts and your mind. And all of you have pure souls. Your very first test was when we arrived at the gates. That was the two mountains. I was feeling your emotions and felt no darkness in it. You saw all the precious gems and crystals and yet you did not feel taking them."** The princess said.

 **"You see,"** The king spoke. **"Greed is one of the greatest enemies of a human being. Here in Tera, greed is the greatest enemy of a Dragon Summoner. If you have it in your heart, then you are not worthy of signing the contract and will be banished from this place forever."**

"I understand." Naruto said as he made a thinking pose. "So if a human is greedy, he will only want the contract so he could return here and take all the crystals. There is also a chance that he could bring other humans to invade the place and take the precious items here for themselves."

 **"Well spoken. You are showing great intellect at your age."** The king commented.

"Thank you, Watatsumi-sama. I just love reading a lot of books. It helps me expand my knowledge."

 **"Knowledge is power, my dear boy. A dragon lives long and gains a lot of knowledge as it grows older. The older a dragon gets, the wiser it also becomes. You see, we dragons are what you humans can call 'walking libraries', we know a lot of things and you are free to ask us anything as long as we feel that your questions are worthy of answering."**

"Wow. So having the dragon contract is really great then. One could learn many things."

 **"That's true. Now enough chit chat. I'm sure you and your friends can no longer wait to sign the contract now."** The king smiled as he took out a huge scroll and an obsidian dagger.

 **"Here, make a small cut on your right palm and smear the blood on the scroll."**

Naruto then excitedly did as ordered. Moments after he smeared his blood on the scroll, golden letters appeared on it spelling the name 'Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto' with the kanji for 'Second' beside it.

Kurama, who was watching, wondered. **_"Second? Naruto-kun's the second… Hold on, if I remember correctly, Tou-san was the first summoner of the Dragon Clan and his personal summon was Watatsumi-sama…"_**

 **"Perfect."** The dragon king said as he took the scroll and put it back to his robe. He then took out another one and motioned for the others to come forward.

Fu was the second to sign and was followed by Gaara. Hinata signed next and then Sasuke. Temari was a bit nervous at first but signed anyway. Kankuro was the last to sign. When they all finished signing, Watatsumi took the scroll and kept it to his robe.

 **"Alright then."** Toyotama said. **"Please come with Shen and he will lead you out the castle. You will be now matched with your personal summon."**

A man wearing emerald clothing walked forward and introduced himself. **"I'm Shen. Please follow me."** The children then began to follow him outside but stopped when the king cleared his throat and called for their attention.

 **"Naruto, please remain here."**

The boy then walked back to his parents' side and waited for the king to speak while his friends were led outside by Shen.

 **"Right. How do I start? Oh, right. Anyway, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto. You were supposed to be here five years ago. But because of some unfortunate events, your presentation here was delayed. Normally, the Uzukage's family members are presented to every dragon in Tera, whether they're already bound to one summoner or not. Your case, however is different. The moment I saw you, I knew there was something special about you. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you nor your family about it. You shall be the ones to discover. Now, you were probably wondering why you signed on a different scroll. The answer is simple…"** Watatsumi trailed off as he stood up and drew a hidden sword from his robes.

The dragon king raised the sword and then struck it to the floor. He then faced the boy and bent on one knee.

 **"Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, I, Watatsumi, Ryuujin, King of Tera, will be your personal summon. I pledge to you my undying loyalty and friendship."**

 **"Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, I, Toyotama-Hime, Daughter of Ryuujin, will also be your personal summon. I pledge to you my undying loyalty and friendship."** The princess said as she too took out a sword out of nowhere and did the same thing her father did.

Everyone, especially Naruto, was surprised by this. Kushina and Minato were shocked but were also happy for their son. Naruto's siblings were simply amazed. They knew about their parents' personal contract with the princess. However, hearing the king proclaim himself as Naruto's personal summon was simply amazing and shocking.

 **"From this day forth, you are now under the protection of the whole Dragon Clan. You now have the authority to summon every single one of us whenever you wish. Shall you need us in any kind of situation; we will be there to aid you."** The king said as he stood up. The princess also stood up as her father held out his hand.

 **"Receive the Seal of the Uzumaki-Ryu Pact."**

Naruto felt a burning sensation on his left arm and watched as markings appeared. For about five minutes, everyone watched in silence as his left arm got covered by markings that soon formed into an obsidian dragon. The dragon glowed for some time and finally vanished, the boy's left arm now looking normal like it was before.

 **"That seal symbolizes of your contract with the Dragon Clan. It will remain invisible and will only show up when you perform the jutsu for summoning."** Watatsumi explained.

 **"Now, time for you to receive your personal seal with me and my daughter."** He and Toyotama both held out their arms and spoke. **"Receive the Seal of your personal summon."**

This time, it was Naruto's right arm that glowed and got covered by markings. Two dragons began to form. One was golden and the other one silver. After some time the seals vanished and his skin returned to normal.

 **"Now that we are finished, I have something to tell you while the children are finding their matches. Follow me."** The king said as he led the family to another room.

 **"Please be comfortable and take your seats."**

 **"Now, to business. Kushina and Minato, as you may have already know, Moryo, the demon king has been summoned back to life. We dragons could feel his presence from here. He is slowly growing stronger by the day. I'm bringing up this matter now because what happens in a few weeks lies the fate of the world. Also, since you are the leader of the Uzumaki Clan, this concerns your clan a lot. As wielders of the Rinnegan it is your duty to maintain balance to the world. If Moryo rises to full power, well, you know what happens."**

"We understand that. In fact, we were set to leave for Uni no Kuni after Naruto-kun signs the contract."

 **"That's good. Now, here's something you need to know: Moryo's resealing this time will require the power of your whole family. You, Minato, and your children must go together."** The king then spoke to the youngest. **"Naruto. Before you go to Demon Country, you must first get the grasp of summoning."**

Watatsumi then explained, **"Moryo is a godly being. Last time, he was sealed by the Priestess with the use of her powers. But now he has come back, and this time he is stronger than before. You will need the assistance of another god. Now, I don't want you to think that I'm underestimating your clan's powers. I know about the wonders of the Rinnegan as it also a power of a god. However, something tells me that you will have to rely on your other skills without using your Rinnegan. Since your clan is known as a clan of seal masters, there will be no problem. The only way to defeat Moryo is by combining your sealing with me strengthening it to a godly level."**

 **"Also, I would like to state of an ancient law that I'm sure some of you already know… 'A god or goddess must not involve themselves into human matters.' That law, however, can be bypassed. Since I am bound to Naruto, I have the rights to visit the mortal world and get involved into this matter without breaking the law. This is why Naruto must master the art of summoning fast."**

"Excuse me, Watatsumi-sama." Naruto said. "How am I going to learn it fast if we also need to take care of Moryo soon?"

 **"That's a good question."** The dragon king smiled as he called for one of his servants watching by the door. **"Please summon Akira."**

 **"Hai."** The guard bowed and left the room.

Only a few minutes passed then the door once again opened and a woman wearing white armor entered.

 **"You called, my lord?"**

 **"Yes. This is Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto."** The king said indicating at the boy. **"You will be training him with the summoning jutsu. You will use one of our special rooms to hasten his training. Naruto, this is Akira, one of my lieutenants. She will be the one to train you."**

 **"Understood. Please follow me."**

The boy looked at his parents and waited for their approval. His family just smiled at him encouraging him to go.

"Where are we going?" Naruto asked as he and Akira exited the room and walked through the corridors.

 **"We are going to train inside a special room where time is different from here. Say for example if we are going to train there inside for a week, only seven minutes will have passed here once we go out."**

"I see. So a minute here is a day inside?"

 **"Exactly."**

"Cool." Naruto said making Akira smile.

They walked for a few more minutes as the castle was huge. Naruto wasn't able to memorize the way they went as there were lots of turns and stairs. Finally they stopped in front of a corridor with three curtains at the far end. Akira walked towards the curtain in the middle and motioned for Naruto to enter first. The boy excitedly went through the curtain with Akira following behind.

 **Time Skip, Thirty Minutes Later**

The middle curtain moved and on it came out a boy and a woman in armor. The boy looked a bit taller now compared earlier and his hair longer. His body physique also improved. The woman was smiling proudly as they walked back to the room where the boy's family was waiting.

"Kaa-chan!" Naruto excitedly called as he ran back to the room.

"Naruto-kun!" Kushina stood up and hugged her son. She released him and inspected her baby boy. "Look at you! You've grown taller! And your hair, you're starting to look more like your father."

"So how was your training?" Minato inquired as he smiled at his son fondly.

"It was great! We were in there for a month! Akira-sensei helped me strengthen up my physique. My chakra pool has also increased during the training. On my first week though, it was difficult. But I got used to the routine sensei made for me. Kurama-chan also helped me with my training as she helped me healed faster and replenish my lost energy and chakra. And now I can easily summon a dragon! The only thing now I haven't practiced yet is summoning Watatsumi-sama himself."

 **"Well done, Naruto. And thank you Akira."** Said the king, bowing to his lieutenant.

 **"It has been a great honor teaching him. He is a great student."** Akira replied.

Naruto's family also thanked the woman before she excused herself.

"I'll see you again soon, sensei, and thank you for teaching me." Naruto said as he hugged the woman. Akira then made a last bow and exited.

"So, Naruto-kun." Narumi called.

"Yes, Nee-chan?"

"You think you're ready now?" She smirked.

"Hah! You bet! Let's go kick some demon's ass!"

"Hahaha! That's the spirit!" Minako laughed as he and Naruto high-fived.

"Shall we make a little contest on who summons the most dragons?" Said Miho, grinning.

"Hey, that's unfair! You've been training longer."

"But you said you're strong already. And your chakra pool has grown larger." Mio replied.

"Nee-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan." Naruto whined.

The dragons and the Uzumaki-Namikaze just laughed at the siblings' traded banters.

 **"Don't worry Naruto-kun, if they're serious about it remember that you got me. Hahahaha"** Kurama laughed evilly as she spoke through their link.

 _"Heh. You're right."_ Naruto replied as he smirked evilly at his siblings.

"Someone's got _that_ look." Narumi chanted, making the others laugh again.

"Alright, that's enough. I think the others have already matched with their personal summons." Kushina interrupted.

 **"Yes. Come now; let us go back to the throne room. When the others return, we are going to have a feast in honor of Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto."**

 **Kirigakure**

"They're here." A gate guard said as he and his partner watched the Konoha Diplomats approach.

"So, they have sent both clan heads of their dojutsu clans." A beautiful red haired woman commented.

"You know them, Mei-senpai?" A Kiri ANBU Captain asked. Beside the woman was a tall man with long black hair, carrying three swords on his back.

"Yes." Mei replied. The Konoha group was now by the gates.

"Welcome, Konoha. Welcome to Kirigakure." The woman greeted. "I am Terumi Mei, the Yondaime Mizukage's right hand and successor. With me is my husband, Rikkoudo. Please follow me."

The group then headed to the Mizukage Tower with the ANBU flanking them.

 **Mizukage Office**

"Mizukage-sama." Hiashi and Fugaku bowed.

"Welcome, Hiashi of the Hyuuga Clan and Fugaku of the Uchiha Clan." Yagura nodded. "Now, enough of this pleasantries and let us get started to business."

The two clan heads smiled and nodded and took out two scrolls.

"We have come here in hopes of forging an alliance with you. Konoha has a lot to offer in terms of trade and resources."

"What sort of things will Kiri get with this proposed alliance?"

"One is resources, as we have said. We could open and establish trading routes straight from the Land of Fire to the Land of Water. You may now easily acquire the supplies that you don't usually find in your lands. Also, we promise you of cheap and easy bargains that you will find great." Hiashi explained.

"Another is methods and teaching styles. We are willing to share our ways in our academy and training with you." Fugaku said. "As part of that, we are also willing to share some of our jutsus."

"As a sign of our honesty and willingness for the alliance, we have brought you gifts." Hiashi said as he and Fugaku each handed him one scroll.

It was Mei who took the scrolls and passed one to the man beside her earlier to inspect. Rikkoudo checked the scroll for traps and when he found it clean, he handed it back to his wife. Finding both scrolls safe, she finally gave it to the Mizukage.

The Mizukage then took the scrolls and opened one of it. His eyes got big as he read it.

"This is…" Yagura whispered and stared at the two Konoha diplomats.

Hiashi and Fugaku only smiled and nodded at the young leader, urging him to open the other scroll.

"Kami-sama… These are…" The Mizukage trailed off as he sat back to his chair. He gave the scrolls to Mei to read. The woman's reaction was unreadable as she had an impassive look on her face. Her husband, Rikkoudo, took notice and immediately knew that whatever was in that scroll, it made Mei angry. She was just good at not showing it. Mei handed him the scrolls to read and when he read it, he just sighed and handed them back to the Mizukage.

"To give us this as a gift… This is very valuable." Yagura finally spoke again.

"That is how much we are willing to give for our alliance to be forged."

"This is too much." Mei commented.

Hiashi just smiled while Fugaku replied, "Of course it is. But we do not mind."

"I'm sure you do realize that this is only a copy, right?" Hiashi asked Yagura.

"Of course." He smiled. "If you don't mind, I would like to be left alone for now to think. You can have these back for now." He said as he gave them back the scrolls. Hiashi and Fugaku took one each and put them back inside their robes. "Mei and Rikkoudo will lead you out. They will be your guide while you're here. Feel free to look around the village. I'm sure you'll find something you'd like."

"Thank you, Mizukage-sama. We're hoping for a good result once you're done thinking things over." Hiashi and Fugaku both said bowing and then left the room with the couple leading them out.

 **Time Skip, The Next Day**

 **Oni no Kuni**

The family was now entering the Demon Borders. They were all wearing travelling cloaks to keep their identities hidden. The Uzukage have left clones back in her office to do the paperwork. Kaede have been informed of their journey and was asked to double the security in the village while they were away. Fu and the others practiced doing the summoning jutsu with Tobi excitedly watching over them. When they returned from their match finding, they were amazed and happy for Naruto when they found out who his personal summon was. They were also told of the mission to Oni no Kuni and understood why Naruto had to be trained fast. While waiting for the Uzukage and her family to return, Fu and the others decided to train hard to catch up to Naruto.

"How much farther?" Naruto asked, obviously bored.

Minato chuckled and replied, "We're almost there, Naruto-kun. Just about twenty kilometers more."

The boy just sighed and looked forward.

Finally after a long distance of travelling, a castle started to get into view. As they got nearer, they were greeted by about twenty people armed with bows and swords. Some of them were carrying torches to light their way as it was already dark.

"Welcome, Descendants of the Rikudou Sennin. I am Taruho. The priestess is waiting for you. Please, follow me."

"How did they know about us?" Naruto whispered.

"The Priestess." Narumi replied.

"What? How?" Naruto asked, still confused.

"It is one of her powers. She can see the future." Minako explained.

"Thank you Taruho-san, please lead us to the Priestess." Kushina told Taruho.

Taruho nodded to his men and surrounded the family in a protective circle as they walked to the castle.

 **Priestess' Compound**

The family was led into a huge room. Sitting at the far side of it was the Priestess. Beside her sat a little girl about the same age as Naruto.

"Welcome, Kushina Uzumaki. Welcome, Minato Namikaze. It is a great pleasure to see you again. It has been years since the last time we met." The Priestess smiled as she opened her arms to hug the two.

"Miroku-san, it has been years indeed." Kushina said as she returned the hug.

"Aah, look at how time passed." Minato smiled.

"Haha, yes. I remember you two when we were still genins. You two were always fighting. Now look at you two. I've always known you would end up together." Miroku laughed as she remembered the time when they were still young and free of their current responsibilities.

"By the way, here are our children. Narumi, my first born. Minako, my second. Mio and Miho, my twins. And lastly, my youngest son, Naruto."

"Here is my daughter, Shion. I believe your youngest is the same age as her."

Naruto then decided to walk forward and offered his hand to the girl.

"Hello! I'm Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto! And I am the future Uzukage, believe it!"

Shion just stared at him and began to blush. Her face turned red like a tomato.

Naruto stared at the girl and got strongly reminded him of someone he knew. He later realized that Shion and Hinata looked exactly the same. Their facial expressions were also the same when blushing. It was only their hair and their eyes that will tell them apart if they were together.

The girl slowly reached out shook Naruto's hand.

"H-hi. I'm Shion. It's n-nice t-to meet y-you, N-Naruto-kun." She stuttered while still blushing.

Everyone who were watching got amused with the two's interaction. Miroku was a little surprised as she never heard her daughter stutter before. Kushina just smiled while Minato and Naruto's siblings were smirking at each other.

Even Kurama, who was watching through the link, was laughing hard. **_"Oh my, my. Naruto-kun has found another member of his fan club. It just grows bigger whenever he meets someone new."_**

"N-Naruto-kun. W-would you like to take a t-tour around the compound w-with m-me?" Shion asked.

"Tour? Yeah, sure!"

Shion looked up to her mother for permission and grinned when Miroku smiled and nodded. The girl took Naruto's hand and dragged him out of the room.

When the two were out of earshot, the elders in the room laughed. Naruto's siblings high-fived with each other. They now have someone new to tease their little brother with.

"Narumi, Minako, Mio, Miho." Kushina called. "Your father and I would like to talk with the Priestess alone. Please wait outside and watch over Naruto-kun."

"Of course, Kaa-chan." They all replied in unison as they went out to spy on Naruto.

 **Time Skip, Two Days Later (Wait, what? Time skip? Why? Yeah, yeah I know. Calm down guys. Just read down to the author's notes.)**

 **Uzushiogakure**

The Uzumaki-Namikaze family have successfully resealed the Demon King, Moryo, back to his realm and made sure he would never resurface to the land of the mortals again.

The Uzukage was currently at the council room briefing them of the events that happened in Oni no Kuni.

Meanwhile, two cloaked figures walked towards the village's gates.

 **Council Room**

The Uzukage just finished her story when Kaede entered the room.

"Excuse me, Uzukage-sama. They are here. They bring urgent news."

"Alright. Council dismissed. We will talk again tomorrow." The Uzukage said as she stood up. "Where are they?" She asked Kaede.

"They're waiting for you at your office."

 **Uzukage Office**

The two cloaked figures were inside the office waiting for the STORM Commander to return with the Uzukage. After a few minutes the door opened and Kaede, Kushina, and Minato entered.

"It has been so long." Kushina addressed the two.

"Indeed. Uzushiogakure has grown. You have done great as the Uzukage, Imouto." A woman's voice replied.

The Uzukage walked forward and hugged the cloaked woman. "I missed you so much, Mei Nee-chan."

"I missed you too Ku-chan. So how's Kaede, is he giving you trouble?" Mei jokingly asked.

"Yeah, I missed you too, Nee-chan." Kaede smirked as he hugged the woman who was now revealed to be Mei Terumi.

"Rikkoudo-san. How are you?" Minato asked as he shook the other cloaked figure's hand.

"I'm doing great, Minato-san."

"Please, let us take our seats." Kushina offered. The two visitors took off their cloaks and sat opposite the Uzukage's desk.

"Alright. Let us get straight to business." Kushina said.

"Right." Mei replied. "We bring news from Kiri and about Konoha as well."

 **Chapter Eleven End**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **1.** **Why the hell did you skip the part in Oni no Kuni? We've waited so much for that!**

 **Answer: The story about Oni no Kuni will be in the next chapter. I had to skip it because chapter eleven would have been very long and will bring unbalance to the world. Trust me.**

 **2\. How come the non-Uzumaki children got the dragon contract as well?**

 **Answers:**

 **-Hinata's an Uzumaki from her mother's side. So yeah. In the future, Hinata's different Byakugan (one of the reasons why she was banished - I mentioned this before) will eventually mature into a Rinnegan when she becomes high jonin. Probaby at age 19 or 20.**

 **-Fu, on the other hand, is now an Uzumaki-Namikaze as she was adopted into the family. Also, she is a jinchuuriki so summoning a dragon won't be a problem.**

 **-Kankuro, Temari, and Sasuke aren't Uzumakis but as they go to the academy, their chakra coils will level up enough for them to be able to summon a dragon. Remember, the style of teaching in Uzushiogakure is not the same with Konoha. The academy in Uzu is more advanced. Also, their cases are special. They will play a great role in the story. Also, overtime, Sasuke will be adopted to the Uzumaki-Namikaze Family.**

 **-Gaara's a jinchuuriki so he's fine.**

 **3\. The connection between Hagaromo and Watatsumi will be explained in the future chapters. So for now this will be a bit of a mystery. This also adds a sort of an answer about the Subaku no Siblings and Fu being able to acquire the dragon contract.**

 **4\. Thank you for reading. I hope you liked this chapter. See you again next chapter.**

 **5\. Review, follow, and favorite. Don't forget to tell your friends about The Lost Maelstrom so they too can read it. Thank you for all your support!**


	12. Chapter 12: Turning Point

**NOTE: BEFORE YOU BEGIN, IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU PREPARE YOUR FOOD BESIDE YOU AS THIS CHAPTER WILL BE LONG.**

 **JRL: I would like to thank everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed The Lost Maelstrom. I would like to congratulate myself and all the readers as we have now reached the turning point of the story. That's right, we have reached the half of the story. Like I've said earlier, this chapter will be long. This is three times longer than the normal chapters, as this is the half of the story. In chapter thirteen, Naruto and his friends will be now genins.**

 **Special thanks to LockDown00 for letting me use Kaze in my story.**

 **Tobi and Deidera: FINALLY! CHAPTER TWELVE IS HERE! TIME TO READ!**

 **Chapter Twelve: Turning Point**

 **Flashback, Oni no Kuni**

 **Priestess Compound (Inside)**

"Uzushiogakure would like to propose an alliance once we have dealt with the threat of Moryo and his followers."

"Kushina, my friend, I have seen in my vision that Oni no Kuni and Numa no Kuni (Land of Swamps) will be under the flag of Uzu. My country will become better and strong under your leadership." Replied the Priestess.

"A good vision then." Commented Minato.

The three chuckled while Miroku agreed. "Yes. I understand your role as descendants of the Sage. I will help you with your quest. Balance has been absent for long. But soon, when you emerge again, Konoha will be the first to receive retribution."

"We have an understanding then." Said Kushina.

"Yes. Oni no Kuni and Numa no Kuni will not just be allies of Uzu. But will become under its flag."

"The renaming of your country will be up to you, Miroku-san." Said Minato.

"In my vision, when the country becomes a part of Uzu, the whole land will be placed with seals to seal off all demons forever, thus making it no longer a land of demons. Also, I've seen whirlpools surrounding my country to protect itself from intruders."

"An extension of Uzushiogakure indeed." The couple mused.

"Yes, I propose for Oni and Numi to become official as one and renamed to Ni-Uzushiogakure."

"Very well. We have an agreement."

"Hai. Before we go, I would also like to tell you about another vision."

"Oh. And that is?"

"You will be sending two squads of STORM to Konoha to save two children. One of them is a girl, who's the last of their clan that specializes in genjutsu. This girl is born with a weak body and has a problem with her head. The other is a boy, who's born without chakra but still wishes to become a shinobi. I've seen them trying to enroll to Konoha's Academy but was not allowed to due to their conditions. They will become great assets to Uzu."

"I see. Thank you for that information. I will have the two identified and rescued from Konoha's clutches."

 **Priestess Compound (Outside)**

"… and then I was rescued and brought to Uzushio. There I started to have a good life." Naruto finished his story about himself as he and Shion sat by the rock near the castle's koi pond.

"Oh. And here I thought I've had the worst life. I'm so sorry, Naruto-kun."

"Hey, it's alright. You do not have to apologize you know. It is Konoha's fault."

"Hmm, yeah. You're right."

"Of course I am!" Naruto cheered, making Shion giggle. "Anyway, what about you?"

"Me? Well, I grew up alone. I had no friends to call since everyone my age is scared of me. I only have my mother and my personal assistants with me. But even my assistants are scared of me."

"Why?"

"I have this power where I can see people's deaths as well as mine. I see what will happen before they are put to grave danger."

"Oh."

"I understand if you're scared of me now…" The girl whispered sadly as she bowed her head.

"Hey, don't be sad. I'm not scared of you. I think it's actually cool, foreseeing someone's death. In that way we can prevent it from happening, right?"

"Yes. But still, the others automatically think they will die. They do not understand."

"Well, I do understand. And I'm your friend, remember?"

"Friend?" Shion asked, staring at Naruto's blue eyes.

Naruto blushed at this seeing how cute Shion looked.

"Yes! We're friends!" The boy said as he grabbed the girl and hugged her. "Don't worry. I won't leave you just because you foresee my death or yours. Together, we will change that and stay alive! Believe it!"

Shion was now blushing madly due to the boy's actions. Her face was now as red as a tomato.

"F-friends… Y-yes. I-I'm f-friends w-with N-Narut-to-kun…" Stuttered the girl as Naruto still hugged her.

Meanwhile, Naruto's siblings were of course watching and were giggling like fangirls. They were surprised when the boy suddenly hugged Shion.

"Oh my, Naruto-kun's the man." Narumi said between giggles.

"Oh, I'm so proud." Minako said as he too tried to suppress his laughter.

"He's our baby brother, alright. He's the lady killer." Miho and Mio both said.

 **Next Day, Land of Marsh**

 **Moryo's Prison**

 **"Hahahaha! Pathetic mortals! You think you can defeat me?"** The demon lord said as he encircled the family and prepared for another set of attack. The Uzumaki-Namikaze family arrived ten minutes ago and immediately battled the demon.

The family easily slaughtered the cultists that were guarding the entrance. Yomi and his other four lieutenants were able to battle a little longer with the use of demon magic. In the end, they were defeated by Kushina by using the Human Path, pulling their souls out while also gaining valuable information.

 **"Weak! You are all weak! We've been battling for some time now and I've only received little damage."** Moryo taunted. Unknown to him, the family have been discreetly placing seals around the area while they moved around while the demon tried to kill them.

Meanwhile, Naruto concentrated in a distance while he meditated and gathered chakra. Mio and Miho stood by him to protect him from the demon's attacks.

"Naruto-kun, we're ready." Kushina called to her son as she dodged a demonic tentacle. She turned gracefully and cut the tentacle with her sword.

 **"Raaaaaaaaaa! Die, you filthy mortals!"**

Minato, Kushina, Narumi, and Minako finished placing the seals and started firing waves of jutsus at the demon while dodging at the same time.

Naruto finally finished gathering chakra with the help of Kurama and opened his eyes. He bit his thumb and smeared blood on his shoulder where the seal was located and slammed the ground.

 **"Kuchiyose no Jutsu! Watatsumi!"**

The area became covered with smoke allowing the four humans to take cover and retreat to Naruto's side. When the smoke cleared, there was now a great dragon five times bigger and longer than the demon Moryo. Naruto stood on top of the dragon's head with his arms crossed.

 **"Aaaah, it's been so long since the last time I've been summoned to the land of humans. Well done, Naruto."** Watatsumi mused as he stared at the demon with calculating eyes.

 **"You!"** Moryo screeched angrily at the dragon. **"You do not have the right to interfere! Be gone!"**

 **"Now, now. I cannot do that. I have every right to be here since my master has summoned me. Now, it is time for you to return to where you came from and never come back here."**

 **"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"** The demon roared in anger at charged at the dragon.

Watatsumi simply dodged and flew around the area while blowing golden steam and fire. The seals placed by the family glowed bright as the dragon king strengthened them. The demon, however, did not notice and simply thought the attack was meant for him.

 **"Ha! That was it? You did not even hit me!"** Moryo taunted.

"Oh, this guy is an idiot, alright." Naruto commented.

 **"Yes, he is."** Watatsumi chuckled as he flew around and continued giving more power boost to the seals.

 **"RAAAAAA! WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN IDIOT?!"** Moryo angrily asked.

"Well, duh, you of course! You're an idiot." Naruto taunted.

The demon angrily charged at the dragon head on completely forgetting about the others. Thanks to the boy's taunts, Naruto's parents and siblings were given the opportunity to place the final seals while the demon attacked blindly with rage for being called an idiot.

The others began drawing lines and formed a huge hexagonal seal with them six standing at each points.

Kurama, who was watching through her host's eyes, agreed with Naruto's statement. **_"Yes, that demon is an idiot. Who turns their back from their enemies? And to think that he was considered as a king in his dimension, it's such a shame."_**

 _"Let's just be thankful that Moryo's stupid. In that way we the others can work with the final seal. And then we can finally seal him back to wherever he came from. And then we can return."_

 ** _"What, missing Shion already?"_** Kurama teased.

 _"Hey! I didn't say that!"_ Naruto shouted, blushing.

 ** _"You didn't. But I can read your mind, remember? I'm sealed inside you. I can feel your emotions."_**

The boy chose not to reply as his face was now red. Kurama just watched with amusement.

 **"YOU SLIPPERY SERPENT! COME HERE SO I COULD KILL YOU!"** Moryo screamed in frustration while Watatsumi dodged the demon's attacks and flew around.

Naruto then noticed that the others have finished with the seal and were waiting for them to lure the demon inside. The boy silently ordered the dragon king to fly down near the hexagon. Moryo followed and flew down as well. Once again, he failed to notice the seals that were not beginning to glow brighter.

 **"Uzumaki Sealing: Demon Soul Drain!"**

The family shouted as the demon neared the hexagon, the seals around the area activated, quickly draining him of his power.

 **"Aaaaaagh! What is this?"** The demon screamed as it fell down and landed inside the hexagon. Due to his power being drained, he could not move and get away from the hexagonal seal, now finally noticing it. Too late.

 **"Uzumaki Kinjutsu: Demon Reverse Summoning and Sealing! Onimon: Kai! (Demon Gate: Open)"**

The hexagonal seal glowed purple and formed into a prism, trapping the demon inside. In another dimension, a same hexagonal seal appeared.

 **"Switch!"**

 **"Nooooooooooooooooo! I will not return to my old place. This is where I belong! I shall rule here!"** Moryo wailed as the whole prism glowed.

Watatsumi breathed golden fire at the seal strengthening it. Moryo's essence got transferred to the other dimension bit by bit until there was none of him left in this world. The seal's glow slowly died out as well as the prism.

 **"That takes care of it. Well done, everyone."** The dragon king commended the family for their work as he let Naruto step off from his head. **"You have done well, Master Naruto. You have successfully summoned me to your realm without passing out. I look forward to the next time you'll summon me to battle."** Watatsumi bowed to the family and then to the boy before poofing back to Tera.

"Yay! We did it!" Naruto cheered, making the others chuckle. Kushina then picked him up and kissed him. Minato ruffled the boy's hair, feeling proud.

"Come on, let's go back to the Priestess' Compound."

 **Oni no Kuni**

 **Priestess' Compound, Balcony**

Miroku, Shion, the Uzumaki-Namikaze family, and Numa no Kuni's acting leaders were gathered by the castle's balcony to discuss the country's future. All residents of Oni and Numa were also gathered down below, listening to their leaders' discussion.

"Now that the threat of Moryo's been dealt with, we may now look forward to our country's development. With the sealing away of all demons, my role as the Priestess of these two countries finally comes to an end." Miroku started.

"As we have discussed yesterday, Oni and Numa will become under the Uzumaki Flag and will be renamed to Niuzushiogakure." She said while looking at the Numa's standing leaders. She then stood and bowed to the Uzukage. "I, Miroku, Priestess and standing leader of Oni no Kuni, pledge my country's undying loyalty and friendship to the Uzumaki Clan."

"We, the tribe leaders of Numa no Kuni, have been waiting for a rightful leader to lead our country to greatness. Now that you're here, we pledge our undying loyalty and friendship to the Uzumaki Clan. May you lead us to greatness." The leaders said as they too bowed to the Uzukage.

The Uzukage then stood up and said. "I, Uzumaki-Namikaze Kushina, Uzukage of the New Uzushiogakure, accept your pledges and will make sure to develop both countries to greatness. May our friendship and camaraderie last forever, down to our future descendants."

"I now declare this land to be called Niuzushiogakure. Oni no Kuni will now be known as Niuzu's First City, while Numa no Kuni will be the Second City."

"Uzumaki-Namikaze Narumi, I hereby appoint you as the First City's Uzukage. Uzumaki-Namikaze Minako, I appoint you as the Second City's Uzukage. May the two of you become just and great leaders, listening to your people, and becoming their inspiration." Kushina said.

Minako and Narumi were beyond shocked. Their parents did not tell them about the two countries becoming one with Uzu. And now they were appointed leaders. Although surprised with the announcement, they both stepped forward and presented themselves to the crowd.

"We accept our appointment and pledge to do our best."

The crowd then began clapping and cheering for their new leaders. Those at the balcony were also clapping and congratulated the two for their recent appointment. Naruto was jumping up and down while holding hands with Shion. They too were cheering. This, of course, didn't go unnoticed, making the others smirk.

 **Later that night**

After the announcement, there was of course a celebration. Miroku then informed the Uzukage and her family that they will be moving to Uzushiogakure. Naruto and Shion were the ones who were very happy with this. They will be growing up together and attending the academy. Shion have already told her mother that she wanted to become a shinobi and Miroku agreed.

Development plans were also made that night. STORM squads will be sent to Niuzu to seal off the remaining demons. Narumi and Minako will be receiving advanced lessons in leading a country. They already received their lessons back in Uzu. Now that they're officially Kages, they will now get their advanced lessons with the help of the two countries' advisers.

 **Flashback End**

 **Present Time, Uzushiogakure Office**

"Alright. Let us get straight to business." Kushina said.

"Right." Mei replied. "We bring news from Kiri and about Konoha as well."

The Uzukage nodded, urging her sister to speak.

"Konoha has sent diplomats to Kiri to forge an alliance. The diplomats were Hiashi of the Hyuuga Clan and Fugaku of the Uchiha Clan. They, of course, brought gifts to please the Mizukage…" Mai trailed off, and stared at Minato.

"What are the gifts?"

"The scrolls for the Hiraishin and the Rasengan."

Silence.

"I'm sorry, can you please repeat that statement?" Minato said.

"The scrolls for the Hiraishin and the Rasengan. Those are the gifts Konoha offered to Kiri." Mei said as she took out two scrolls from her pocket.

Everyone except Mei and Rikkoudo were dumbfounded.

"But how?"

"I managed to invade their minds without them knowing. The scrolls came from Danzo. He had it secretly copied and hid it in his ROOT Base. Right now there are two copies. The ones hidden in Danzo's ROOT Base and these." Mei said as he showed them the scrolls.

"So you managed to get them." Minato commented, a bit relieved.

"Yes. I managed to quickly make copies when I inspected them. The ones they currently have had been tampered with. The seals and instructions were edited. Should they try doing the Hiraishin, the area where they will put the seal will simply melt. The Rasengan, they'll just end up getting their arms blown up." Rikkoudo said.

"Well done. Good quick thinking." Kushina said.

Rikkoudo just smirked and waved it off. "You're welcome. I was just doing what's right."

"Then it's no longer a problem should the Mizukage accept. The only thing we'll have to do is destroy the copy or copies Danzo has. They probably made more copies for back up now."

"Right. Anyway, here's more news, a few days before the Konoha envoys arrived, me and my husband noticed that Yagura was acting off. When we made a secret investigation, we found out that he is under a genjutsu. And a strong one if I may add. We came to the conclusion that it was an Uchiha who placed it on him. The genjutsu's supposed to make him hate everyone with a bloodline. If we let it continue, there will be a bloodline purge in Kiri and will eventually result to a civil war." Mei said.

Everyone in the room smiled mischievously while Kushina spoke, "I trust you have a plan to put this incident to our advantage."

"Of course." Mei said. "We'll simply let it happen. Kiri will be divided into two while the alliance proposal by Konoha will either be put on hold or accepted. I will be leading the rebels and the ones with a bloodline. After the civil war, I will reveal about Yagura being controlled by an Uchiha's genjutsu. Kiri will become hostile to Konoha then. By that time I will be Mizukage. Kiri declaring war and attacking Konoha will be easier."

Everyone in the room laughed evilly after hearing Mei's plan.

"Perfect!" Kushina said. "All that's left is Kumo and Iwa. When the time comes, Kumo, Iwa, and Kiri will be attacking Konoha. In the end we will make them see the irony. Three countries allied to destroy Uzu now allied once again to destroy Konoha. Hahaha!"

"Father's plans will be fulfilled. I'm going to find that Uchiha and shake his or her hand for controlling Yagura. Hahaha!" Mei said.

They continued to talk to catch up about each other. Mei later then found out about Naruto's return and was excited to see her nephew.

 **Uzushiogakure Hospital**

 **Tsunade's Private Room**

Naruto was currently sitting by the bed of his grandmother. Every day, he will visit her and tell her stories despite her being in a coma. He just finished telling his story about his adventure in Oni no Kuni. With him were Hinata, Sasuke, Fu, Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, and Shion.

"Baa-chan, this is Shion. She's my newest friend. She's the Priestess Miroku's daughter."

"H-hello… Tsunade-sama… I'm Shion. I hope you'll wake up soon."

"Yeah, Baa-chan. I hope you wake up soon." Naruto said as he kissed her grandmother's forehead.

Naruto then led his friends out of the room and decided to bring them to Ichiraku's. He hasn't seen Ayame for three days now so he thought of going there and also introducing her to Shion. Nobody noticed the necklace Tsunade was wearing glow brightly when Naruto kissed her.

 **Time Skip, Following Day**

 **Uzukage Mansion**

Naruto woke up early and quickly fixed his bed. He went to the bathroom to bathe and when he finished, he excitedly wore his clothes. He ran to his parents' room and kicked the door open.

"Kaa-chan! Tou-chan! Wake up!" He shouted and jumped up and down the bed.

"Naruto-kun! What-?" Kushina bolted up, startled.

"It's the first day of school!" The boy squealed excitedly.

"What? Oh…" Minato said as he also woke up startled.

The boy's parents chuckled as they noticed Naruto and his clothes. He was wearing his shirt the wrong way. The supposed backside was on front. His pants were also a mess as he wasn't able to wear them properly. The zipper was halfway opened while the pants itself was worn inside out. His hair looked like a bird's nest while some areas still had shampoo bubbles.

"Someone's excited." Kushina commented as she could not help but giggle at her son's antics.

"Why, yes of course! I'm going to be a shinobi now!"

His parents simply chuckled at the boy's high energy.

"Well, you can't go to school with your outfit. You wouldn't want the girls to see you like that, would you?" Minato asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Look at yourself in front of the mirror." Kushina suggested while still giggling.

Naruto did as ordered and finally noticed his outfit and his hair. "Oh. Hehe. I guess I was too excited."

"Come now, let's get you properly groomed." Kushina took her son's hand and led him back to his room. Minato went downstairs and ordered the household to prepare breakfast.

Naruto's siblings who were sleeping on separate rooms also woke up due to his shouting.

"Tou-chan? What happened? I thought I heard someone shouting." Narumi asked as she found her father downstairs.

There were more footsteps and Minako, Mio, and Miho also came down.

"What happened?" The three asked.

Minato simply chuckled as he brought out a camera and showed it to his children.

The four checked the camera and started laughing as they saw the pictures of their baby brother running the corridor and barging in their parents' room up to where he checked himself in front of the mirror.

"This is so cute! Hahaha!" Narumi and Miho both squealed.

"So this is what Miroku-sama was talking about last night. I did not understand why she was giggling. She just told us to have the cameras ready." Minako said.

"We're having these developed, right?" Mio asked.

"Of course." Minato replied as he sipped his coffee.

"I would like extra copies of these." Narumi said.

"Yeah, me too. This will be good for future teasing." Minako said as he snickered.

"We're getting extra copies too!" Miho and Mio said simultaneously.

"Right. So who'll be taking his pictures for his first day?" Minato asked.

"We'll do it!" The twins volunteered.

"Alright. You'll receive a C-Rank payment for this. I'm sure you know this is important. Naruto-kun wasn't with us for five years. We need to treasure all his firsts." Minato said, a bit sad.

"Hey, dad. Cheer up. Naruto-kun's with us now. We'll make sure Konoha won't lay a finger on him ever again." Narumi said with strong conviction.

They also got pictures of Naruto summoning Watatsumi for the first time, Naruto eating ramen for the first time, and also other important and happy memories. These pictures of course were taken secretly. Most of his early photos were taken with the help of drawing a memory out of someone's mind and printing it on a scroll with the help of seals.

 **Uzushiogakure Academy**

After getting properly groomed and breakfast, Minato and Kushina walked their youngest to school with the twins secretly taking pictures.

"Kaa-chan. I forgot my schedule table." Naruto turned to his mother as he scratched his nose.

"I got it Naruto-kun. Here."

"Oh. Thanks!"

"Enjoy your first day, son." Minato said as he patted the boy's head.

"Yes!" Naruto cheered.

His parents kissed him before they let him run to his room for his first subject.

Naruto went to his room and noticed there was nobody yet except him and the teacher.

"Hello, good morning!" The teacher greeted.

"Good morning sensei!"

"You're early. The school opening ceremony will start later in twenty-one minutes. Please take a seat for now."

"Right. Thank you… uh…"

"Kira. I will be your sensei in physical education every Monday, fuinjutsu and dancing. Your senseis for your other subjects will be your sensei in your PE on that day as well."

"Right. Kira-sensei. Thank you." The boy said as he found a seat and reviewed his schedule.

 _"Let's see… for Monday I have PE in the morning, History around midday, and Fuinjutsu in the afternoon. Tuesday's PE in the morning again… Oh. PE's every morning. Right. Anyway, I got Weapons Mastery and Taijutsu after. I got Chakra Manipulation, and Elemental Manipulation every Wednesday. Thursday's Summoning and Kenjutsu. Medical Ninjutsu and Genjutsu every Friday. Alright!"_

 _"Hmmm, I wonder what kind of dancing Kira-sensei was talking about."_

 ** _"Why don't you ask her then?"_** Kurama suggested.

Kira, who was watching him, spoke.

"You're probably wondering what I meant by dancing. You see, I was your mother's student before I started teaching. For her, kenjutsu is a form of dance. Actually, battling is dancing. When you're battling, you're technically dancing with death. Fun, right? So that's your mother's term when she fights. For me though, it's kenjutsu. So yeah, I will be your sensei in your kenjutsu classes. You will only hear this term once since you're the only person here. Try using that as one of your phrases. You see, there will be a time where you will be famous throughout the world. When you battle someone, they will know they are screwed when you say it." Kira said, winking at the boy.

Naruto grinned as he understood what his sensei meant. He already had a catchphrase in mind.

"Anyway, since you're the first student to arrive here, I'm giving you an award for being the early bird. I'm giving you advanced scrolls in Kenjutsu. Enjoy." Kira took out three scrolls from her desk's drawer and handed them to Naruto.

"Wow! Thank you sensei!"

"You're welcome. If you have questions, feel free to ask. I'll just sit here and review the lesson plan while we wait for your classmates. Since I will be your homeroom sensei, I will be the one to welcome you formally with the classes. Your sensei in history will be Miroku-sama. I'm sure you already know her."

Naruto nodded and took out his book in basic fuinjutsu and began reading. Slowly the room got filled with students.

When the room got filled, Naruto was sitting in the middle of Shion and Hinata. The Subaku siblings sat behind them. In front of Naruto sat Fu. Beside Fu was a girl wearing glasses that identified herself as Karin. Sasuke arrived a bit late so he sat beside Karin. Naruto got excited when he finally learned who Karin was and they immediately became friends. The two were bookworms and that's what made them bond easily.

The ceremony started with Kira speaking in front and welcoming everybody. She had her students go in front and introduce themselves. When it was Naruto's turn, every girl in the room, except Tayuya, who was sitting at the far corner of the class, was blushing at the boy, while the boys thought of him as someone very cool.

After the ceremony they went outside for their physical training.

 **Uzushiogakure Shorelines**

A hooded figure could be seen approaching the city slowly. This mysterious man strongly reeked of snakes. As he took another step closer, he found himself surrounded by twelve squads of STORM. Why that many? The Uzu-nin sensed that this man was not a simple nin but very dangerous. He radiated an aura that can rival two kage level nins.

The hooded figure chuckled and removed his hood to reveal his face and raised his hands in a surrendering way.

"I am Orochimaru the Snake Sannin. I am friends with the Uzukage and the Uzukage before her. I come in peace."

"We strongly advice you not to move until the Uzukage arrives to check you herself. Make a move and we will immediately think of you as an enemy. Please wait while we call for the Uzukage-sama." Said Kaede, the commander of STORM.

"I understand. I will not make any attempt to move. I'll wait for her." Said Orochimaru.

 **Uzukage Office**

Kushina was currently signing construction approvals for Niuzu. She was interrupted when a STORM appeared.

"Excuse me, Uzukage-sama. There is a man by the shorelines who claims himself as Orochimaru the Snake Sannin. Kaede-sama and twelve more squads of STORM are currently watching him."

"So it was him I was sensing. Thank you. I'll be there shortly. Please alert all Jonin and higher while I confirm this person's identity."

"Hai."

The Uzukage then concentrated and called to her husband using a mental link.

 _"Minato-kun. Please be at the shorelines ASAP."_

After the call, she vanished from her office in a red flash.

 **Uzushiogakure Shorelines**

Minato and Kushina arrived in a yellow and red flash respectively. When they inspected the scene, they found a cloaked figure raising his hands in surrender while the STORM surrounded him.

"At ease. It's him." The Uzukage ordered.

The STORM then lowered their weapons but still held a defensive stance.

"When Nono-chan told me about you and your village, I was very surprised. It's a good thing I sent Anko-chan to Konoha that time. I have a good feeling that it was Uzu who raided Konoha twice. Am I right?"

"You're right about that, Orochimaru-sensei." Replied Minato.

"Ah, Minato-kun. It's good to see you back in the realm of the living." The Snake Sannin commented.

The blonde simply smirked and walked towards his sensei and hugged his sensei and adoptive father. Kushina did the same.

"Come on, let us get inside the village. You might want to meet my children. Also I think it is time that you met your godson. I'm sure Nono told you about him already. Let's make this official now, shall we?" Kushina asked happily as they casually walked back towards the village.

"Of course. It would be an honor becoming godfather to one of your children."

"That's good then! Well, now he's five. So you have five years' worth of gifts to present to him." Kushina clapped happily making Minato and Orochimaru sweatdrop.

 **Konohagakure**

 **ROOT Underground Main Base**

Four ROOT ANBU walked casually end entered the leader's quarters. These four were actually STORM henged to four high ranking ROOT they killed earlier. Using the Human Path, they were able to absorb all of their memories and easily pretended to be them as they infiltrated the base to look for the scrolls Danzo copied. The corpses were sent to Uzushio for further investigation. They were tasked by the Uzukage to search the base for the illegally copied Rasengan and Hiraishin scrolls as well as possible other stolen jutsus.

Henged as four of the high ranking ROOT, they easily got access inside and were not bothered by anyone. As of that moment, they were the only high ranking members inside the base. The rest were out searching for a cure to wake their leader from his comatose state.

After an hour of thorough inspection, they managed to find three extra copies of the Rasengan and the Hiraishin. One was placed inside the ROOT Leader's desk drawers. Another one was found hidden in a safe box, where other stolen items were hidden. They found twelve masks that they recognized as the masks the Uzumaki Clan owned that allows them to resurrect someone dead. Upon further inspection, they realized that the masks were not original. Even though replicas, they drew seals to each one of it that activates when worn. Should someone try to wear it, they will die. Simple. Beside the masks, they found a dozen of Hiraishin kunais. The STORM decided to destroy and replace them with fake ones.

The last pair of scrolls was found in the ROOT's library. Other than the Rasengan and the Hiraishin, they found scrolls that contained kinjutsus from other villages. One set contained about Black and White Lightning Release. Another one was about Storm Release. They also found a scroll for the Dust Release. The last set of scrolls was about Mokuton (Wood Release). The STORM took the liberty of taking the said scrolls. Their first task done, they headed to the newly rebuilt Hokage Tower and waited for the distraction they needed to get inside and retrieve the remaining scrolls.

 **Konoha Orphanage**

A boy with bushy brows and long hair that touched his bottoms and wearing a simple shirt could be seen running alone by the backyard of the orphanage. This boy had no friends and kids around his age want nothing to do with him as they considered him their inferior because of his inability to produce chakra. Rock Lee just tried to enroll in the academy a few days ago but due to his condition, he was not allowed to. His now former friends got accepted and now left him alone.

Unknown to him, two hooded figures were watching him train. They were hiding in a nearby a bush and were waiting for the boy to run near. As the boy got near, he heard a noise.

"Psst. In here, quick. Hide here!"

Like any other kid, of course he got curious and did as ordered. As he got inside the bushes, he saw two cloaked people that had their hoods off. Lee figured that they were adults. One of them handed him a cloak that looked like the one they were wearing.

"Here. Quickly, wear this. This will make you invisible."

"Wow! Cool, thanks!"

The boy quickly wore it and looked at himself.

"I can still see myself…"

"Of course you can. You're the one wearing it. You can also see us because we're wearing the same cloak. Put the hood on and we'll get out of this bush. Don't worry, people won't see us. We three can only see each other."

They got out of the bushes and sat by the bench. The two STORM decided to get straight to business.

"Listen, we know about you wanting to get accepted in the academy but got rejected due to your condition. We have two questions for you. Here is the first: What is your dream?"

"Hmmm. I'd like to become one of the greatest shinobi and respected by people and accept me even if I can't produce chakra."

They both nodded and then said. "Second question, would you still like to become a shinobi even if you have been rejected by Konoha's Academy?"

The boy nodded eagerly with his eyes shining.

"Good. We can help you become one. But you're going to have to come with us. You already know that the people here are discriminatory. In our village, we do not discriminate people. We help each other out. If you come with us, you will be guaranteed a new home and will be able to attend the academy and fulfill your dream of becoming a shinobi. So, would you like to come with us? We'll give you time to think."

The boy spoke almost immediately after the mysterious person's statement surprising the two.

"People here treat me bad. The orphanage lady is also bad. Those who I thought were my friends no longer talk to me. The academy rejected me. Nobody wanted to adopt me. I don't want to live here anymore. Please take me with you."

"Alright. We're taking you to Uzushiogakure." One of them said, smiling. The other patted his head and said, "Before we go there, we have to wait for another kid. We're also bringing her with us. My friends are currently looking for her while we went here for you."

"Oh! Do I know this girl?"

"I'm not sure if you do. You see, she's currently locked in prison."

"But why?"

"Konoha thinks of her as a demon. But they're wrong. You see, she was born very weak and also had a demon inside her mind. This demon takes control of her body and causes destruction. Instead of helping her get rid of the demon, they locked her in prison."

"That's bad. It wasn't her fault."

"Yes. Don't worry, my friends are going to help her escape prison. They will also seal off the demon that controls her body. For now let's go to the forest and hide while we wait for them."

"Alright. Please lead the way."

 **Konoha Prison**

 **High-Security Prison, Yakumo Kurama's Cell**

Said girl was currently sitting in her bed, waiting for something to happen. She was thinking of ways to escape but her whole body was sealed. She could not call upon the power of Ido, the demon inside her, to break free as it had been sealed off. She was interrupted from her thoughts when she heard metal clanging. She stood up and went to inspect the source of the noise. She was surprised when she found the guards of her cell lying dead with their heads slit off. She jumped in fright when she noticed the killers. There were two of them and wear wearing hooded cloaks.

As one of them approached her main cell, Yakumo retreated back in fright. The hooded figure began drawing seals on the metal gates. After about five seconds, the seals glowed bright and melted the cell door.

"Come here. Don't worry, we're not going to harm you. We came here to rescue you."

The girl slowly approached the person. A part of her told her to believe them and let them rescue her.

"It's alright. Now, we're going to place a seal on your forehead before we remove your restriction seals placed by Konoha. The seal we'll apply on you will forever seal Ido. The demon will no longer bother you after. We're going to send it back to the demon world."

"You know its name…" Yakumo commented.

"Yes. We're taking you to Uzushiogakure. It will be your new home. You will not be imprisoned there. You will be able to live a normal life, attend the academy, and gain friends. What do you say?"

"Yes! I'm coming with you! Take me out of this hellhole please!" The girl said as tears blurred her vision.

After sealing off the demon, the STORM removed the girl's seals that were placed by Konoha. Yakumo was now free.

"Alright. We're heading to the forest first. There are people waiting for us there. There's another kid we rescued from Konoha's clutches."

"What's your companion doing?"

"Oh. Don't mind him. He's tagging the place with exploding seals. This place will blow up in fifteen minutes. This is why we need to go now. We'll be safely ahead of them before they realize you're missing. Here, wear this cloak."

"Cool."

 **Konoha Forests**

Rock Lee's group arrived and waited for only three minutes. They greeted Yakumo's group and immediately took off.

"We're going to a waterfall a few kilometers near the Fire Country Border. Our transport will be waiting there."

 **Hokage Tower**

The squad that raided the ROOT base earlier quickly went inside two minutes after they heard an explosion. The village was immediately put on a red alert when Sarutobi heard news about the High Security Prison blowing up. The Hokage, along with his ANBU immediately headed there.

The STORM quickly searched the tower for the scrolls and found it. They escaped unnoticed and headed to the waterfall. The cloaks they wore were applied with seals making them invisible even to the Hyuuga's Byakugan. It masks their presence as well as their chakra, keeping them from getting noticed by enemy sensors.

 **Uzushiogakure**

 **Uzukage Office**

"So you wish to make an alliance with Uzu?" Minato asked as he sat opposite his sensei.

"Yes. Otogakure needs allies. Since it's new, it will need all the help it can get. Once it gets developed enough, other villages will most likely begin to notice it. Then it will be troublesome." Replied Orochimaru.

"I understand. We agree to this alliance. You should also ask the Kazekage and make an alliance with Suna. We are currently allied with them." Kushina said as she took out a folder. "Here, these are the alliance papers. Just read them and sign. It contains the same contract we made with Suna."

The Snake Sannin nodded and took the papers and read it. After a few minutes, he performed the sealing ritual and got the ring.

"There you go. Congratulations on your new village, Sensei. Or should I now say Otokage-dono." The Uzukage said, making the man smirk.

"You've finally achieved your dream. You now lead a village."

"Thank you, Minato-kun, Kushina-chan. With your aid, Otogakure will grow strong and right. I will make sure my people won't become like Konoha."

"I'm sure you will, sensei." Minato said.

"The Shodaime and the Nidaime are probably rolling in their graves now. Their village treaded the dark path when they left it to Sarutobi and the others." Orochimaru said.

"Konoha's facing its last years. When Naruto-kun is ready, we will burn it to the ground. Kiri, Kumo, and Iwa will soon follow." The Uzukage said.

They put their conversation in a halt when one of the seals in the Uzukage's desk glowed.

"Minato-kun…"

"Understood. I'm going. I'll see you later, Sensei." Minato said as he kissed his wife and shook his sensei's hand before vanishing in a yellow flash.

"I'll be returning to my hotel room or probably stroll around the village. Any place you could recommend for me?"

"Well, you might want to visit Ichiraku Ramen. They'll tell you how they got here."

"I'll see you later then." Orochimaru said as he stood up and nodded to the Uzukage and then left the office.

A few moments later, there was another yellow flash. Minato was back with the two STORM squads and two kids.

 **Uzushiogakure Academy**

"Alright class, that's all for today. For your assignment, memorize and practice your seal writing and strokes. Remember, drawing the perfect symbol is important in making seals. One wrong stroke can cause your immediate death. I'll see you again next week."

"Hai, sensei! Thank you for today's lesson." The whole class replied.

Kira nodded and let them out of the room.

"See you tomorrow guys. Mom and dad told me to come home today early." Naruto told his friends as they got out of the room.

 **Uzukage Mansion**

"The Uzumakis are born with a strong immunity against poisons. Tsunade was put into a coma due to the stress of her body being forced to close and open her chakra coils and muscles for the immediate restoration. Now her whole system's not responding. With the use of the Yamata no Orochi's venom, her system will function once again as the venom enters her body. Since the venom comes from a god summon and cannot be found normally in the realm of human mortals, the venom will be foreign to the body causing the antibodies to work and function to fight the venom. Since Tsunade's an Uzumaki, she will not be harmed by the venom." Orochimaru explained as he showed the vial of venom to the family.

"So this is the snake god's venom?"

"Yes. Before I got that, I had to give him five hundred human sacrifices."

"That many?" Kushina asked, horrified.

"Yes. Oh, and don't worry. The sacrifices were criminals. During the first week of Otogakure's construction, a huge number of bandits tried to raid my village. They never saw it coming. They became snake chow." The snake sannin chuckled as he leaned back in his seat.

"Wow, _kyoufu_ (godfather)! You defeated that many!" An amazed Naruto said.

Orochimaru chuckled at the boy's comment and said, "It was nothing. They weren't shinobi. It could have been a different story if they were."

"Hmmm, but still, you singlehandedly wiped them out."

"Someday, Naruto-kun, the world will know you for singlehandedly destroying an entire shinobi army. You have us, your family, to help you become stronger. You will surpass me and your parents." Orochimaru stood and patted his godson's head. "Now, let's go wake your grandmother, shall we? She has slept for too long."

 **Uzushiogakure Hospital**

 **Tsunade's Room**

The family stood back and waited as the Snake Sannin injected the venom to Tsunade's system. They watched the monitor show the patient's system work on the venom. The graph went high and then low, and then high again.

"Baa-chan…" Naruto murmured as he walked closer to Tsunade's bed and held her hand.

Everyone except Naruto was amazed as they noticed her necklace glowing. Naruto was too focused watching his grandmother to notice.

"The shodaime's necklace… It's glowing…" Kushina murmured.

Naruto yelped when he felt her grandmother's finger twitch.

"Baa-chan!"

The monitor showed the patient's heartrate going back to normal. Tsunade continued to twitch. The first were her fingers, and then her whole arm. After a few seconds her eyebrows and mouth began to twitch.

"K-Kushina-chan…" Tsunade whispered, making everyone in the room widen their eyes and walk closer.

"Kaa-chan…" Kushina said as she held her mother's other hand while tears ran down her face.

"Kushina-chan. Narumi-chan. Where are my babies?" After being in comatose for eighteen years, Tsunade the Slug Sannin finally woke up and returned to the world of the living.

"Kaa-chan!"

"Tsunade-koi…" Arashi murmured as he too can't hold back the tears.

"Arashi-kun… Kushina-chan…"

The family got acquainted with Tsunade. With the help of the Rinnegan, they were able to easily tell and show Tsunade what has happened during the eighteen years she was unconscious. When they got to the part about Naruto, Tsunade grabbed the boy and hugged him tight. She vowed vengeance on Konoha. When they finished telling her everything, Tsunade thanked her old teammate for the venom that caused her to finally wake up.

 **The Following Day**

Word spread about Tsunade's recovery that very same night. The whole country was on a grand celebration today. Those who were on a mission were recalled to honor the Slug Sannin. Classes have been suspended and will be resuming next week. The school director and the Uzukage agreed for an upgrade in the school buildings and facilities. Now that the greatest medical nin has returned, there would be changes for the medical ninjutsu subject.

 **Uzukage Mansion**

 **Dining Hall**

Everyone watched with their jaws dropped on the floor as Tsunade ate, or should I say, wolfed down the food that was served on her table, which was the whole table.

Shizune, the slug sannin's apprentice, returned from her assigned mission last night. She cried in delight when she learned of her master's recovery. While Tsunade was bed ridden, she asked the Uzukage to be sent on a long term mission as a spy. The pain was too much for her after the masked Uchiha battled and left Tsunade in a comatose state. Kushina have ordered for her mission to be put to an end now that Tsunade was awake. Right now Shizune had a huge sweatdrop as she watched her master wolf down the food. There were now more than twelve stacks of huge bowls and she just kept eating.

"More! Om nom nom nom…" Tsunade mumbled as she finished the last bowl that was served. She clapped happily when the household took away the empty plates and placed another buffet on her table.

"Tsunade-sama…" Shizune called.

The woman simply raised an eyebrow and continued to eat.

"Tsunade-sama… Maybe you should slow down… You know it's not good to-" Shizune stopped her sentence as Tsunade sent her a glare that promised pain. The apprentice gulped and stepped backwards. Nobody else dared to interrupt Tsunade after as they feared for their lives.

Meanwhile, Naruto was hungry and just got downstairs as he just woke up. He slept late last night due to events and did some training by himself. He got curious when he noticed the household especially the kitchen staff frantically running back and forth carrying platters of food and returning with empty plates. Naruto's eyes got wide when one of the chefs came out of the kitchen carrying a huge bowl of ramen. The chef was none other than Ichiraku Teuchi. Another person came out of the kitchen carrying another huge bowl of ramen. Naruto recognized the person as the chef's daughter.

"Ayame-chan!"

"Oh! Good morning, Naruto-kun!"

"Good morning, Ayame-chan! What's going on?"

"We're here for today's celebration. The shop will open later after lunch. For now we're serving Tsunade-sama our best ramen." The girl explained as she walked to the dining area with Naruto following behind her.

The boy was entranced by the ramen's aroma. When Teuchi and Ayame placed the bowls on the table, Naruto followed and took a seat beside his grandmother and began to gobble the contents of the bowl Ayame carried earlier. Everyone who was watching stopped dead in their tracks as they feared for the Lost Maelstrom's life. They silently prayed to Kami that Tsunade won't hurt him for eating her food.

"Oh my-!" Shizune gasped as she slowly walked towards the boy to save him from the danger he didn't know he just got himself in.

"Hmm?" Tsunade grunted as she noticed one of her bowl of ramen got devoured by someone. To everyone's relief, she just smiled and hugged her grandson and began feeding him with ramen. She then began to eat in a normal pace. She sent Shizune a death glare when she noticed her near the table, causing the young woman to flinch and retreat.

Kushina released her breath that she didn't notice she was holding. She thanked Kami that her son was safe. She remembered the time when she was still a chunin when her mother used the Sozo Saisei. Tsunade was unconscious for two weeks after using the technique and when she woke up, she literally devoured all the food that was served and ate a lot. Those who tried to stop her tasted her chakra enhanced fist and almost died. They were revived later when she finished her meal.

Arashi was remembering the same incident. He just chuckled to himself when his wife hugged and began feeding Naruto.

 **One Week Later**

After the long week celebration of Tsunade's recovery, things have gone back to normal. Classes have been resumed. More buildings were added. More facilities were added especially the medical facilities. Advanced courses have been added to the curriculum for Chunin level students or graduating students, which were extreme chakra control, conservation, and meditation, that is almost the same with Senjutsu Training. This allows the user to enhance all their skills and status for a particular amount of time depending on the amount of chakra was stored and how long they were stored before release.

During the week, Rock Lee and Kurama Yakumo were enrolled to the academy and were given the same lessons Naruto's batch had, giving them the opportunity to catch up. Also, with the medical sannin's recovery and knowledge with the human body, she was able to make new bodies for the two with the help of the Rinnegan's powers. Using the ying and yang release, they created new bodies that have been enhanced, making them now qualify to face the harsh world of shinobi. After creating the bodies, they transferred Lee and Yakumo's souls to the new ones with the use of some Uzumaki kinjutsu seals and the rinnegan's human path. The boy may now use and mold chakra, while the girl's no longer ill. After the operation, they were introduced to Naruto's group.

 **Uzushiogakure Academy, Monday**

It was Monday again. It was a new week for school and the official start of the semester. Kira welcomed her students as the classroom got filled. When the final student arrived, she called for the class' attention.

"Alright, today we have seven new students that will be joining your class. They are from Otogakure. Since the village is still new and are still developing, they will be the first batch of students from their village that will study here. It's like a foreign student going to another village. They are like the Subaku Siblings. Let us give them a warm welcome and make sure they'll feel comfortable with us." Kira said as she motioned for the said seven to stand up. "Please introduce yourselves."

The only female in the group was the first to speak. "Hello, good morning. I am Tsuchi Kin." She caught Naruto's eye and blushed crimson red. Hinata, Shion, Temari, and Yakumo noticed this and glared at the girl. Tayuya simply rolled her eyes as she felt the killing intent directed to Kin by the four.

Next was the boy who had long spiky hair. "Hello! My name is Abumi Zaku."

"Good morning everyone, I am Kinuta Dosu." The one with bandages all over his face except his left eye said while bowing.

"I'm Jirobo. I do not have a family name." The fat one said.

"I'm Kidomaru. Like Jirobo, I also have no family name." The tall one said.

"I am Sakon." Said the silver haired guy. "And I am Ukon." Said the other one. The two then stood with their backs on each other and said, "And together, we are the awesome silver twins!" They both said while doing the peace sign making the others sweatdrop. Kira simply chuckled at the two.

 _"Do twins always say the same thing?"_ Naruto wondered as he remembered his siblings.

 ** _"Yes, they do."_** Kurama said.

For the sake of the new students, Kira also had the rest of the class introduce themselves. After the introduction, the class began with their morning exercises. They were taught by the former priestess Miroku in History, and then by Kira again in Fuinjutsu. They were still mastering writing the correct strokes for the basic symbols in sealing.

 **Tuesday**

 **Weapons Mastery Grade One Class**

"Good afternoon class. I am Kyoki. I will be your sensei in this subject. Let us begin with introducing ourselves… I'll go first. I am Uzumaki Kyoki. I am a master of all weapons. I started teaching in the academy three months after the Iwa-Kumo-Kiri attack. My favorite weapon is the naginata. Like most Uzumakis, my main affinity is water while my second is lightning. My goal as of now is for you to become masters of weapons."

Kyoki then began to call everyone and had them stand in front and introduce themselves. After the introduction, she began with the lesson.

"A weapon is an important tool for a ninja. It could greatly help someone a lot when he or she gets in on a tight situation and cannot use chakra at the moment. As stated in our laws, civilians are also taught to fight and master their own chosen kind of weapon. For us shinobi, we have the advantage to enhance these weapons by adding chakra. But for now, we will simply begin with getting familiar with each kind of weapon. You will be taught to apply chakra with them on your next year. Once you are able to wield all even at an adept level, you will be prompted to choose two weapons that you will use in your shinobi life. A primary weapon that you should be a master of and a secondary weapon you're also better with the other weapons."

"While learning your chosen weapons, you will of course train with the basics with the kunai as the basic melee weapon and the shuriken, or throwing stars, for the thrown ones. Kunai, also, can be used for throwing. The last for the basic weapon throwing is the senbon needles. Senbon needles are usually used for disabling enemies from a hidden location. They are usually used by medic nins but even can be deadly when a non-medic has great proficiency with it."

"Before I allow you to have your hands on these weapons, we are going to watch our Chunins demonstrate their own unique battle styles and play with their chosen weapons."

The entrance of their dojo then opened and in came about twenty chunins. Among them were Naruto's twin siblings.

"Miho and Mio will be the first pair to demonstrate their battle style with their favorite weapon. For Miho, she is a master of the war fans while Mio is a master of the tonfa. Miho's main affinities are water and wind. She has the Ice Release. Mio's main affinities are fire and wind. He has the Blaze Release. Mio, Miho. Please begin."

The twins then went to the middle and bowed. They began their dance with their backs on each other. First they demonstrated the katas step by step and then continuous after. After the kata, the twins created water clones and ordered them to attack. The clones outnumbered them twenty to one. On the first wave, the twins defended themselves with just using their weapons by deflecting and countering. Miho was the one deflecting the attacks with her fan and redirecting them to her twin, making him the one to kill the opponent. Sometimes Mio will do the same allowing Miho to slash at the enemies with her fan, killing them off. After defeating the clones, they created more and this time, they were outnumbered thirty to one.

Miho raised her fans in a defensive stance while Mio went on an offensive stance. As the clones gathered around them on a circle, Miho channeled her chakra and coated her fans with wind while Mio coated his tonfas with fire.

The clones then started throwing weapons at them. Miho moved her arms and motioned her arms in a circle.

 **"Fuuton: Wind Dome!"**

The wind dome caused the thrown weapons at them to bounce back in every direction, now twice the force of the throw, dispelling some of the clones that got hit. While the wind dome was still active, Mio then thrusted his tonfas outward.

 **"Katon: Fire Cannons!"**

Blasts of fire came out of the dome and hit dispelled more clones. Because of the wind, the fire cannons became stronger and bigger.

The twins then decided to go on the offensive. Miho began to twirl her fans and made flicking motions.

 **"Hyoton: Fan Bullets!"**

Simultaneously, Mio made an "X" formation with his tonfas and thrusted those outwards.

 **"Enton: Tonfa Bullets!"**

Hundreds of ice and fire bullets pelted the clones dispelling the remaining half.

The twins decided to finish of the battle by going back to back and crossing their arms. They held it outwards and made spherical motions with their weapons. At first a ball of compressed wind covered the two of them. Then came out four dragons two of them made of ice and the other made of fire. The dragons made a protective circle on the sphere while also lashing out like a whip. The clones then began to scatter and prepared to defend themselves. The sphere caused the twins to hover above the ground for three inches. Then they called out their technique.

 **"Collaboration Technique: Dance of the Ice and Fire Dragons!"**

With the name of the jutsu called, the ball of sphere with them inside came at the clones and destroying them. The jutsu was based on the Yondaime Hokage's Rasengan. The twins upgraded it by adding their chakra affinities. With them inside the huge compressed sphere of wind, they destroyed everything in their path with the dragons, burning their enemies with fire and ice.

The whole class watched in amazement as the sphere quickly bounded at one after another clone, completely destroying them. Half of the clones that got hit became solid statues and then exploded afterwards. The other half that got hit by the flames was incinerated into ash.

When the jutsu died out, the twins returned to the middle and bowed. The class stood up clapping, very amazed with the dance they just watched.

"That was amazing, Nee-chan, Nii-san!" Naruto called to his siblings while his eyes shined with admiration.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun! Thank you everyone! Kyoki-sensei, thank you for having us here demonstrate." The twins both said before they went to the side.

Kyoki then called for the other chunins to show their katas and their techniques. After the demonstration, the whole class was now very excited to get their hands on with the weapons. Most of them while watching already got an idea which weapon they'd make as their primary.

 **Taijutsu Class**

The grade one students sat in the field waiting for their sensei to begin. Their sensei was actually old but only looked like he was in his thirties. He was wearing red plated samurai armor and carried an odachi on his back. He was huge and had a warrior build. His medium length hair was tied in a ponytail and the tattoo of the Uzumaki Clan was visible on his back.

"Good afternoon class! I am Uzumaki Kaze. I will be your sensei in Taijutsu. A little information about myself, I am a veteran samurai and fought back during the warring era. I cannot use chakra during my younger years. But thanks to the powers of the rinnegan, I was finally able to unlock it when I turned twenty-one. Even though I have unlocked my chakra systems now, I usually use it only for Taijutsu as I have mastered it when I was only a chunin. I have also mastered using the Eight Inner Gates up to its maximum level without dying. If you wish to become a Taijutsu master, feel free to approach me. I'll gladly have you as my apprentice."

Rock Lee listened to Kaze with rapt attention. His respect for his new sensei just doubled, knowing that he could not use chakra before. Lee decided that he'll become a Taijutsu master. With his chakra unlocked, his taijutsu will become more powerful tenfold. He was interested about the Eight Inner Gates. He still had no idea about it, but he felt like it will be good for him to learn.

"Since you have your PE every morning, it is now my duty to level some things up." Kaze said while he smiled sadistically making his students gulp. He took out several scrolls from his pocket and laid them on the floor. He performed a single hand seal and then there were poofs of smoke. When the smoke cleared, the students had to cover their eyes as the things the scrolls produced reflected the sunlight.

"Sensei, what are these?" One student asked.

Kaze smiled and pointed at the metallic things. "These are weights. Now that you are students of the Uzushiogakure Academy, you will now wear these every day until you graduate. Let me explain how these things work. When you're not wearing them, they are silver and are shiny. When you put them on, they blend in with the clothing you're wearing. There are seven levels. The first one is white. The weight will vary on your body weight. White is two times your weight. Once you've gotten used to the weight, it will automatically adjust to the second level. The second level's yellow, which is four times the weight. Next is green, eight times the weight. Next is blue, sixteen times. Next is purple, thirty-two times. Next is red, sixty-four times. That last level is black, which is one hundred twenty-eight. Now, if you think that's easy, it's not. You're going to have a set: two for your legs, two for your arms, and one for your body. So that's going to be five times more the weight!" He said as he clapped happily and began handing each student a set.

After staggering and trying to stand up, the students were now ready to begin with the training.

"Look at you all, so cute! You'll become cute little murderers in no time! Now, I want you to make fifty laps, two hundred repetitions of push-ups, punches, kicks, pull-ups, and crunches, and then we'll spar later so I could see and rate your strengths and weaknesses. Now get moving my cute little students!" Kaze shouted.

Before Naruto was brought back to Uzu, Kaze used to lead a team of STORM. When he learned of the Lost Maelstrom going to the academy, he asked Kaede to leave his STORM duties so that he could teach Naruto and his batch mates. Kaede is a very kind and gentle person to the people he cares for. He can be very strict at times and would hit people younger than him in the head with the flat of his blade every time he sees them not acting good. He is a very good disciplinarian, due to his being a former samurai and fighting in the past two wars. He watched as his students struggled running and decided to join them with their training.

After the session, Kaze gathered his students and gave them an assignment. "Your assignment is simple. Do not remove your weights. That's all, dismissed!"

 **Wednesday**

 **Chakra Manipulation**

"Good afternoon class! I am Uzumaki Raiza, I will be your sensei in Chakra Manipulation and also Elemental Manipulation later. Now please stand here in front and introduce yourselves."

After the introduction, Raize spoke again. "As you have learned already how to meditate and gather chakra on your Monday subject, we will now begin with the basic chakra manipulation skills. For now, we will be doing chakra exercises. What is a chakra exercise? It is an activity we do to improve our chakra control. The higher control we have, the lower the chakra it will require us to perform a jutsu or any chakra-based movement. Chakra exercises also help increase our chakra pool. We'll begin with the basic chakra exercises."

She motioned for the class to watch her closely. She then began to walk towards a tree and instead of crashing onto it, she simply walked vertically up the tree and then horizontally, standing upside down when she reached the topmost branch.

"This is the tree walking exercise. How you do it is simple. You just focus your chakra on the bottom of your feet and start walking. Remember, too much chakra will cause the tree to explode and make you fall. Too few chakra will not make you attach to the tree and you'll fall faster."

"Once you've mastered the tree walking exercise, you'll begin with the water walking. Water walking is different from tree walking. You are required to pump chakra on your feet constantly as the water is not stable and is flowing freely. Fail to do so and you will sink."

"Once you've mastered the tree walking and water walking, you will be doing this…" Raiza said as she hopped down to the ground and picked up a dozen fallen leaves and placed one on her forehead. The leaf hovered a few centimeters and began spinning.

"When you've mastered this, you add another leaf." She said as she placed one on the tip of her nose and made it spin as well. "After that, you'll add more to wherever part of your body you like."

Raiza then held out her hand and had each leaf spin on each tip of her finger. She did the same to her other hand. She stretched out her left foot and also had a leaf spin on her toes.

"There. Anyway, this will be a bit advanced. Our main goal is for you to master the tree walking and water walking exercises as soon as possible. Because when you're done, you will be doing the leaf balancing while tree walking and water walking."

"Once you've mastered the leaf balancing, you change the leaf to another thing that is heavier. Senbons, kunais, throwing stars, combat knives, swords, and anything you could think of. When you reach a higher level in the academy, you will be sparring and dodging attacks while performing these chakra exercises. Now, let us get started. Please find yourself a tree and begin walking."

Raiza said as she activated the training ground's seals and changed the landscape to a forest from an open area.

 **Elemental Manipulation**

"Since you're still building up your chakra pools and still require chakra training, I will be only teaching you the shunshin, or the body flicker, and the kawarimi, or the substitution technique. If you get the grasp of these two techniques in two hours, we will begin with the basic elemental jutsus after: the fireball, wind twister, lightning spark, earth smash, and water burst." Raiza told the class as she smiled to herself, noticing her students' determined looks on their faces. "Good. You're ready. Let us begin practicing performing the hand seals."

Two hours later, the class was once again gathered around their sensei.

"Well done. I want you to keep on practicing doing the substitution and the shunshin up to the point where you won't need to do the seals. Once you've mastered the two, I'll teach you how to add chakra elements to your substitution and shunshin."

"There are five types of elements, them being fire, wind, lightning, earth, and water in respective order. Fire is strong against wind but at the same time, it is weak against water. Wind is strong against lightning but is weak against fire. And so on. Each element has an advantage over another and is weak to another."

Raiza took out a scroll from her pocket and from it came out sheets of paper. "These are chakra papers. They react to which main chakra affinity you have. You'll simply focus your chakra on the sheet. If it wrinkles, you have lightning. It will tear in half if you're wind. Burn if you're fire. Get soggy if you're water. And crumble if you're earth."

Their sensei handed them one chakra paper each and ordered them to focus their chakra on it.

Shion's paper wrinkled meaning she had a lightning affinity while Hinata's paper got soggy wet meaning she had an affinity for water. The Subaku no Siblings were all wind, as they came from Suna. With Gaara being the Ichibi Jinchuuriki, his paper crumbled after splitting, meaning he also had earth. Sasuke's paper burned on one side and crumpled on the other. Meaning he had fire and lightning. Karin's main affinity was water. Lee's was wind while Yakumo had fire.

Fu surprised everyone when she had three results. Her paper split into two, with one half getting wet and the other half crumbling.

The rest of the class had either one or two main affinities.

Naruto got the class' and her sensei's whole attention when he channeled his chakra onto his paper. There was a strong gust of wind around the Naruto as his paper split into four. One burst into flames and turned into fine shiny black powder, the other one became very crumpled, the other got soaking wet, and the last one crumbled into fresh brown soil.

"Wow." Was the only thing everyone could say and think of. Even their sensei was speechless.

 ** _"Hmm. It appears that you have the Kekkei Yontouta. Your strong affinity in fire is something I could understand of as it came from me. You have the ability to produce Fox Fire. If your fire jutsus are stronger than normal, then you probably have the Kekkei Gotouta. Meaning you have all five elements as your main affinities. My fire simply made yours stronger. If I'm correct with my theory, then you will be able to produce Hell Fire due to my Fox Fire added to your already strong fire affinity."_** Kurama informed Naruto.

 _"Kekkei Yontouta and Gotouta?"_ Asked the boy.

 ** _"Yes. There are four. One, being Kekkei Genkai, the lowest, a combination of a person's two main affinities. The Kekkei Santouta speaks the name itself. It is a combination of three different nature transformations. There are two known persons who have this. Mu, the Second Tsuchikage, and Ohnoki of Both Scales, the Third Tsuchikage. Their Kekkei Santouta is a combination of fire, wind, and earth with the result of the Dust Release, or Jinton, Particle Style."_**

 ** _"The Kekkei Yontouta is a combination of four, while the Kekkei Gotouta is five. Your uncle, Rikkoudo, is a Kekkei Yontouta. Although I'm sure it is a well-kept secret. Only the Uzumaki Clan knows about it. I sensed it from him the first time you met them. Since I'm a demon, I would know. You already know how humans acquire a bloodline limit, right? Anyway, the Kekkei Gotouta, however, had one. And that was the First Sage of the Six Paths, your ancestor and my father, Hagoromo Otsutsuki. You are the second person I knew who has this."_** Kurama explained.

 _"Wow."_ Naruto thought.

"You have the Kekkei Gotouta." Raiza remarked. She then explained to her students the same thing Kurama told Naruto just now.

If they were amazed with Fu having three, everyone was now looking at Naruto with a new light. They were now more astonished with the boy.

 _"This boy is just full of surprises. Most people would think that this is the gods' way of compensating for his awful life in Konoha."_ Raiza thought. _"On the happy note, I can teach him every jutsu I know. Kushina-sensei will be delighted when she hears of this."_

Recovering from her shock, the teacher spoke again. "Alright. Now that you know your affinities, I will be showing you the basic jutsu for your respective affinity." She said as she made Shadow Clones.

"Follow one clone each and they will teach you your jutsu."

The original Raiza approached Naruto and began to teach him all five element's basic jutsus.

When it was time for the class to dismiss, Raiza gathered her students once again. "Good job today class. I will see you next week. For your assignment, I want you to keep on practicing performing handseals. Here's a hint: perform all twelve hand seals consecutively going from a slow pace to a faster pace. Stay with the pace where you won't make a mistake and increase the pace when you're no longer committing errors with the current pace. Dismissed."

"Hai! Thank you sensei!" The class chorused.

 **Thursday**

 **Summoning Class**

"Good morning class, I am Uzumaki Chihiro. I will be your sensei in summoning. What we're going to do in this subject is we'll practice fighting alongside our summons. Do not worry, I will be helping you supply for the required chakra to summon your partner. Once you have summoned your partners, you will introduce yourselves to the class."

Since most people in the class were Uzumakis, only a few required assistance. Once they have summoned their partners and introduced themselves, they began with the training.

Naruto once again got his classmates stunned when he summoned Watatsumi, the king of dragons. Even Chihiro had his jaw on the floor as he did not expect this.

"Uhh… I guess I overdid it." Naruto mumbled, scratching his head. He was standing on top of the dragon's head.

 **"Yes you did."** The dragon chuckled. **"Try summoning a regular dragon. We will be doing our training together back in Tera every weekend, as time is different there from here."** Watatsumi said as he looked around and found members of his clan with their partners, quickly understanding the situation.

"Right. I'll see you again later this week."

 **"Do well in your training. Good bye."** The dragon king said as he poofed back to Tera. Naruto then focused less chakra and summoned another dragon. He was able to summon Akira this time.

 _"I've heard about the kid having the Kekkei this one… Him being the summoner of Watatsumi-sama? He really is full of surprises. I'll do my best to teach him everything I know."_ Chihiro thought as he observed Naruto's newly summoned dragon. _"He was even able to summon one of the Dragon Clan's Generals after summoning their King. And yet he's still standing like it was nothing. Amazing."_

The students' current objective was mastering the fighting style of their summons. Once they have mastered it, they will be sparring alongside them and against them. In the coming years they will be practicing performing collaboration techniques with their summons.

 **Kenjutsu Class**

"Welcome to the dance class! You already know me, so we'll skip the introductions and get on with the lesson right away." Kira told her students.

"Watch closely since I will be doing the kata five times only. I want you to memorize the movements quickly. This should be easy for you as this is only the most basic."

She then summoned her sword from her seal and demonstrated the kata for the academy style.

"Always remember, the sword is an extension of your arm. It is a part of your body. When you dance, your move your whole body, and that includes the sword. You murder your enemies gracefully and flawlessly. If your grip on your sword is too tight, it's the same thing as having a numb arm when you fight. Grip it too lose then you lose your "arm". The sword is a part of your body. You need to maintain balance in order to move well."

"Now, let us begin. You will be handling real swords now and not the wooden ones, because wooden swords are for babies. You're soon to be ninjas and you need to feel the real deal. Now, go pick up a sword. Quickly now, do not choose. The sword will be the one to pick you. Just take one and get back to your formation."

Once the students have gotten their swords, they stood in a loose formation so they will not hit each other.

"Good. Now, have both your palms sliced, and smear the blood on the flat sides of the blade. Do not worry, you'll heal quickly. Once you're done smearing the blood, hold the sword and position yourself with the basic stance. Make sure you do the proper posture and position of the sword. Follow my lead."

The students then did as told and watched their sensei. The stance was simple. The right foot was ahead of the body forward while the left foot was at the back. The distance between was one foot. The arms lowered, holding the sword with its tip raised on a twenty degree angle.

"Good. Now, channel your chakra to the sword."

The students then concentrated and channeled their chakra to the blade. They were surprised when the whole sword began to change form. Kira then began to explain.

"Those swords you're holding have been applied with seals. When you smeared your blood on it, you signed the contract. When you channeled your chakra on it, you activated the contract. It took your body measurements and weight, and changed form to suit your style. You will notice that the balance, weight, and grip are now perfect, unlike earlier. You feel now more comfortable holding it due to the seal adjusting the sword for you. Some of you had short swords, normal length swords, longswords, broadswords, and even split into two for dual wielding."

"The swords are now yours. Those are my gift for you. You will be using these swords for about a month until you have your own sword or set of swords forged. Just show these current swords to the smith so they could get the necessary measurements."

"For the month, we will practice with the basic thrusts, slashes, swings, stabs, and other movements."

After the class, Naruto approached his sensei and asked about a certain sword fighting style.

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Sensei. There is this style I want to try. I'll be requiring two more sets. Can I have two more of the swords?"

"Hmmm. So you want six swords in total?" Kira asked as she eyed her student's first pair.

"Yes."

"Alright then." She smiled, patting the boy's head.

Naruto smiled and took two swords that do not have a contract yet. He did the same thing earlier and once he finished with the ritual, he now had six swords in total.

"I'd like a demonstration of this style you're talking about."

"Hai."

Kira then activated the seals on the dojo and thirty dummies appeared from the ground.

"Whenever you're ready, begin."

Naruto nodded and threw the swords in the air. He caught one with his mouth, the blade on his right side. He caught another one with his right hand, holding it in a back hold with his arm forward on a forty-five degree angle, meaning the blade also facing his right side. He caught the third with his left hand in a back hold as well in a forty-five degree angle. The fourth blade was caught between his left leg and hip, held near his waist, facing the outside left. He was in a slight crouching position with his left knee raised, the fifth sword held behind it, also facing the left outside. The last sword was placed behind his right knee, facing the right outside.

Kira's eyes widened as she have never seen or read about the stance Naruto was doing. She watched closely as the boy nodded to her and began attacking the dummies.

Unnoticed by Naruto, all of his classmates have stayed behind when they heard him talk to their sensei and got curious so they decided to watch the Lost Maelstrom.

Naruto attacked the dummies with random strikes. He was spinning to the left, right, upwards, and downwards while also kicking the dummies to lift him to the air or simply give him a speed boost as he hit another dummy that was nearby. Kira tried to read his movements but could not make a pattern as the dance moves were completely random. In less than two minutes, all dummies have been sliced off.

"Sensei, I would like to test with attacking dummies." Naruto said with his sword still on his mouth.

Kira nodded and cleared the destroyed dummies and replaced them with moving dummies. The dummies were now wielding wooden swords and were making attacking motions. She then nodded to Naruto to start.

Naruto did the same thing he did earlier with the unmoving dummies. Kira noticed that the boy's random movements also allow him to defend himself at all sides while he attacked and parried the dummies. In about four minutes, all thirty dummies were annihilated.

The sensei was making calculations in her mind and figured that once Naruto have mastered the style, he could spin and move around faster and destroy more dummies in a short time.

She snapped out of her reverie when Naruto once again threw the swords in the air and gracefully caught all six.

"That was impressive. Where did you learn that? I've never seen that style before." Kira remarked.

Naruto's classmates, whom he's noticed now, were also gaping at him and were curious as to where he learned the style.

He simply shrugged and answered his sensei honestly, "Actually sensei, I just thought of the style earlier while we were practicing the katas. I wondered to myself what if the movements were totally at random. So I devised a style and main stance for it. When the class ended, I finally completed in my mind on how to do it and so I asked you."

"So you're saying, you just made up that style today and while we were also doing our lessons."

"Yes." Naruto replied. He shifted uncomfortably under his sensei's piercing gaze.

"How long have you been dancing with a sword?"

"I just held my first swords today. I've been reading scrolls for some katas and stances but today's the first time I actually got my hands on a sword."

Kira could not help but show her excitement as she kept on muttering the words "genius", "amazing" and "totally unpredictable". Suddenly, she grabbed the boy into a hug. "Come here, you." She said as she squeezed the boy's head against her chest. "Oh, you little genius, you!"

She then released the boy and kneeled in front of him, holding his shoulders. "So, do you have a name for it?"

"I just thought of a name… The Dance of Six Deaths." Naruto said as he made an "I got it!" pose.

Kira clapped happily and half dragged and carried the boy outside the dojo. "Classed dismissed!" She shouted, not looking back at her students who were still awestruck.

"Sensei, where are we going?"

"We're going to see the Uzukage and show it to your family. I'm sure they will be proud. Since you invented this style, it will be placed on your logbook under your achievements."

Unknown to Naruto, his twin siblings were still taking pictures and videos of him for his album. Miho and Mio were very impressed and could not wait to inform their parents and older siblings. They followed Kira and Naruto and realized they were also headed to the Uzukage's Office.

 **Uzukage Office**

"Uzukage-sama!"

Kushina and Minato looked up as the door burst open and Kira along with Naruto came barging in. They noticed that the Kenjutsu teacher was very excited.

"Sensei! It's Naruto! He…" Kira said as she dragged the boy in front of his parents and began squeezing him to a hug. She then released the boy and patted his head.

Kushina and Minato could not help but smile as they watched Kira look very thrilled.

"He just created his very own Kenjutsu Style!" She half shouted. She then activated her Rinnegan and showed them the memory.

After watching, Kushina grabbed her son and smothered him into a hug. Minato was smiling wide and was ruffling his son's hair.

"That was very impressive, Naruto-kun! We're so proud of you!" They both said.

Naruto was just speechless as he blushed to his parents' praise.

Kushina could not keep her excitement and wait for dinner so she called for Kaede, Arashi, Tsunade, Minako, Narumi, Miho, and Mio to the office and asked Kira to show them the memory.

After a lot of praising and congratulations, Kushina finally took a scroll and began sealing and writing down the information about the technique and drew the main battle stance. The scroll was then labeled "The Dance of Six Deaths by Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, The Lost Maelstrom." Kushina told her son that she will be the one to personally train him in Kenjutsu, like she taught his siblings.

"Now, go back to the mansion and get some rest. We're having a celebration dinner later." Kushina informed her son.

The boy then kissed his parents and grandmother before leaving the office.

"A day before, we found out that he had the Kekkei Gotouta." Arashi started. "And now this, He just created his own sword fighting style at the age of five!"

"Who knows? He probably has the Mokuton as well." Kaede half-joked, making the others laugh.

Oh yes. Who knows?

"That boy is full of surprises." Tsunade said.

"Indeed."

"So, what are we having for dinner?" Minato asked.

"Aside from ramen, what else?" Arashi interrupted, knowing that her daughter would undoubtedly say ramen.

"Let's just order for a huge feast from The Golden Whirlpool Dragon and have the food delivered to the mansion. We'll let them handle the choice of food." Kushina said. "Of course, I'm also ordering huge bowls of ramen from Ichiraku's. I'm thinking of inviting them as well and Naruto's friends."

Kaede then took out a notepad and began scribbling on it.

"What are you writing?" Kushina asked her brother curiously.

"Oh. Just the materials for Naruto's sword. I'm having a squad look for the rare materials from different countries. It will be a perfect gift for him on his birthday."

"I was thinking of the same thing. If we show the memory to Mei Nee-chan and Rikkoudo, they'll surely think of giving him a sword as a gift as well."

"Yes. We could chip-in the money required for the materials." Arashi said.

Minato then peered over to Kaede's notes. "This will be expensive." He noted.

"It doesn't matter. It's for Naru-chan's birthday gift." Kushina said.

"The rarest alchemy materials from the land of Snow, Fire, Water, Lightning, Earth, and Wind… These will cost fifteen to twenty million yen depending if we get a discount. It's a good thing the Daimyo of the Land of Metal agreed to our proposed alliance. We'll get the purest, strongest, and lightest metal alloy from them. The land still owes us a great amount. We can have the other materials for free." Arashi said.

"We'll strengthen the swords even further with seals once they're forged." Tsunade finished.

Finally coming to an agreement, they sent six squads to go to the said six countries to look for the rare elemental materials needed to make the swords. Naruto's swords' elemental affinities will be Ice, Fire, Water, Wind, Lightning, and Earth. They also sent a letter to Mei in Kiri and to the Daimyo of the Land of Metal, informing them that the swords will be for Naruto's birthday gift. Kushina also sealed a video copy of the memory into a scroll to show Mei Naruto's invented style.

That night, the family had a celebration for Naruto's newest achievement. All of Naruto's friends have been invited. The Subaku Siblings, Hinata, Sasuke, Lee, Yakumo, Fu, Shion, the Priestess Miroku, Karin, and even Tayuya were present. Orochimaru, Team Dosu, and the Sound Four were also present and lastly, of course, Ayame and Teuchi.

 **The Next Day, Friday**

 **Uzushiogakure Academy**

 **Medical Ninjutsu Class for Grade One**

That morning in their PE class, Naruto was approached by all of his classmates and congratulated him for his achievement. Even their sensei, Kaze, approached Naruto to congratulate him personally and offered his assistance for Kenjutsu Training should he require it. Even though the boy's mother was a master in kenjutsu, he could still teach him the Way of the Samurai.

When the time for their Medical Ninjutsu Class started, their sensei was excited to see Naruto. Of course, their teacher for the subject was Shizune, Tsunade's apprentice. Naruto's grandmother most likely informed her. She also congratulated the boy before getting started with the lesson.

"Alright. Good morning everyone, I am Kato Shizune. Apprentice of the Medic Sannin, Senju Tsunade. I will be your sensei for this subject until your grade three. Please stand in the middle and introduce yourselves."

After the introduction, Shizune went on lecture mode.

"Medic Knowledge is very important to a ninja. Back in the war, the rate of death is very high due to the lack of ninjas who are able to perform medical ninjutsu. When the greatest medical nin, Senju Tsunade, proposed a program of it to Konoha, it was declined by the Sandaime. The Uzumaki Clan, however, saw the great benefit of this and added it to the academy's curriculum. With our ninjas knowing medical ninjutsu, our death rate will be very low to none at all when they're sent to missions."

"For three months, we will be learning and memorizing the human anatomy while also learning the first aid, basic antidotes and medicines, and identifying the correct herbs and plants that is harmful or a medicine to the body."

Shizune then took out a huge chart and began explaining. After explaining the human's structure, she showed them samples and vials of basic poisons and the antidotes for them.

 **Genjutsu Class**

"Hello, good afternoon. I am Uzumaki Natsuki. I will be your sensei in genjutsu. Please introduce yourselves before we get started."

After the introduction, Natsuki was eager to inform Yakumo Kurama that she wanted her to be her apprentice. She knew how powerful the clan was in genjutsu and wanted Yakumo to use her talents to their maximum and master the art.

"Genjutsu, or Illusionary Techniques, are types of techniques that also require chakra. When a person is trapped in it, he or she is brought to a false world. A strong genjutsu can make the victim believe that the events that are happening are real. A genjutsu can be also made multilayered. Should a person break free from the first layer, there will be a backup or backups to keep the victim trapped."

"How does one break free from a genjutsu? The victim must concentrate and gather chakra and flare it. A victim can also be freed by an outer source. If the chakra sent is strong enough to disrupt the victim's chakra flow, then the person will be freed. Jinchuurikis, if friends with their tailed beasts, are automatically immune to genjutsu without even training on countering it."

"For now I will be teaching you basic genjutsus and will put you under it within the day. I won't tell you when or how many times you'll be under it. It is up to you to find out and break free."

 **One Week Later**

Naruto and his friends were currently eating at Ichiraku's and were conversing with Ayame. They finished their genjutsu class and were dismissed three hours ago. After eating and some talking, the others excused themselves to go home and rest, until it was only Naruto left in the restaurant. He continued talking with the chef's daughter. In fact, he started to develop a crush on Ayame. Unlike most people, she treated him as himself and not as "The Lost Maelstrom". They both enjoyed each other's company. When it was time for the boy to go, Ayame gave him a take-out bowl of ramen. Naruto thanked her and his dad and walked back to the mansion. It was already hours past nightfall. It was already dark. Most shops were now starting to close.

 _"I'm bored. I don't want to go home yet. I want to do something fun."_ Naruto thought.

 ** _"Why don't you try sneaking inside your mother's office and taking something? You know, they'll find out about it and will have the STORM and Jounins look for you. It will be good for you to test your stealth skills."_** Kurama suggested. She too was bored and wanted some action. So she decided that it would be best for her host as it was also a kind of training. She knew Naruto loved training.

 _"Hehehe. That sounds fun."_ Naruto agreed. He then tried to mask his presence and went to the Uzukage's office. When they got there, the two were surprised to find the office empty.

 _"Maybe they went on a meeting?"_ Naruto thought as he searched around the desk for something. He checked the cabinet and found a huge scroll.

 _"What's this?"_

 ** _"That's the scroll of sealing from Konoha. It is only a copy. But it would not hurt taking it. You could learn a thing or two from that. Take the scroll and go."_**

Naruto nodded and took off with the scroll. He went to the forest to hide while he waited for his mother to find out and send people after him.

He ate the bowl of ramen Ayame especially made for him before he opened the scroll.

 _"Hmmm. What to learn, what to learn? Shadow Clone Jutsu… Multiple Shadow Clone Technique… I wonder…"_ Naruto then read.

 _"Shadow Clone Jutsu – A Jutsu developed by the Hokage, Senju Tobirama. The jutsu allows to create solid copies of the user. Unlike the Basic Clone Technique, the jutsu is corporeal and not an illusion. The clone can also perform jutsu and the Shadow Clone Jutsu to create more copies of itself. It can also bleed but will usually disperse after getting hit by a strong force. The clones can also dispel on their own or by the original. The clones can also feel the emotions of the original and have a mental link between them allowing the original to relay information to the clones even at distances. When a clone is dispelled, the memories are transferred to the original and to the other clones._

 _The jutsu was specially made for Uzumaki Clan Members. Due to their high chakra reserves, they cannot produce simple clones. This jutsu is considered a B-Rank Kinjutsu as it is dangerous for non-Uzumaki or with those who have low reserves to use._

 _Lastly, shadow clones cannot be distinguished from the original even by the Sharingan, Byakugan, or the Rinnegan."_

Naruto then noticed a note on the bottom part. He figured it was recently written by someone.

 _"Note: Shadow Clones' memories and experience are transferred to the original when dispelled."_

"Perfect. Time to learn this."

An hour after, Naruto finally mastered the Shadow Clone Technique and the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique. He was immediately on the alert when he sensed people.

Naruto recently found out that he was a sensor. He asked Kurama about it and the fox told him that the ability did not come from her. Meaning he was really born with sensory abilities. With Kurama's ability to detect negative emotions, he used its advantage to detect people and especially, enemies, faster.

 _"Finally! They're here."_ The boy then started off running towards the searchers' position.

 ** _"Hey, Naruto-kun! You're going the wrong way! What are you doing?"_**

Naruto did not respond and simply smirked. He ran straight for the large group of STORM Operatives with another big group of Jonins. He figured out that they were just receiving their orders. And he was right.

Just before they scattered, Naruto appeared in front of them. Immediately, the boy was surrounded.

"Please surrender the scroll and come with us to the office." The leader said.

"Hehehe." Naruto chuckled and made a hand sign.

 **"Taju Kagebunshin no Jutsu!"**

Thousands of Naruto clones appeared and scattered in all different directions.

 ** _"And there goes your stealth training…"_** Kurama sighed.

"Oh shit." The leader muttered, finally understanding what was going on.

"Not again." Groaned the others as they too understood. Those who were new STORM members gave confused looks.

"It's a kind of tradition for all Uzukage's children… I'll explain after. For now we need to find him fast." The leader said before taking off. The others just sighed and chased after the clones to look for the original.

Meanwhile, the original Naruto shunshinned back to the Uzukage's office and returned the scroll. Then he shunshinned to the mansion and hid in his room. Kurama was howling in laughter while Naruto tried to remain silent. He muffled his laughter with a pillow and later fell asleep.

 **Uzukage's Mansion Balcony**

Arashi, Tsunade, Kaede, Minato, Kushina, and Naruto's siblings were all in the balcony watching.

Arashi and the others were on the ground laughing out loud.

"Buwahahaha! He did it! He did it!" Exclaimed the old man between fits of laughter.

"Oh. That was the best. Going right in front of them and then creating thousands of clones! Hahahaha!" Tsunade laughed.

The Uzukage and the other family members actually knew about Naruto sneaking in the office and taking the scroll as Miroku informed them earlier.

Arashi remembered the time when he was still Uzukage and the same thing happened to his children. In different times, Kushina, Kaede, and Mei also sneaked in the office and took the scroll of sealing. He simply let them do it to improve their stealth skills. When he was a child, he did the same thing when his mother was still Uzukage.

Kushina let the same thing happen to her other children. Although this was the first time her child showed up in front of everyone and then did the multiple shadow clone before returning the scroll back to the office and then hiding in the mansion.

"Oh this is going to be a long night for my men." Kaede said between coughs of laughter.

"Hahahaha! Time to make bets!" Minato said.

"Let's see if Naruto-kun can beat my record. I still have the longest time before getting caught after all. Seven hours and ten minutes!" Kushina bragged.

The family then made bets. The winner gets treated to ramen for free in a week.

 **The Next Morning**

Naruto woke up feeling great, although he was starving. Mastering and creating three thousand shadow clones had been very taxing. He was lucky to have felt the fatigue when he got to his bed. He then went out of his room and looked for his family. He sensed them all gathered at the balcony.

When he reached the balcony, he wondered why they looked like they set there camping for the night. They were asleep.

"Kaa-chan? Tou-chan? What's going on?" Naruto asked, waking them up.

"Oh. It's you, Naru-chan." Kushina said, still a bit sleepy.

"What's going on?"

Before anyone could answer, the leader for Naruto's search appeared in a water shunshin to report to Kaede.

"Kaede-sama. We still haven't found him. We estimated the clones' number to ten thousand. We-" The STORM stopped, finally noticing Naruto, who was still confused.

The STORM quickly tapped a restriction seal on the boy's forehead and waited for it to dispel. When it remained, he realized it was the real Naruto. "Sigh. I finally found you! By the order of the Uzukage, you are to come with me to the Uzukage's office and return what was taken."

 _"What is he talking about?"_ Naruto thought for a moment. Then he remembered and could not help but laugh.

"Hahaha! But the scroll's been there overnight! I returned it right after I produced the clones! Hahaha!"

"What…? WHAT?!" The STORM half asked, half shouted. Then he facepalmed himself and started laughing.

"Finally caught up, huh?" Kaede said as he too was laughing. The whole family was laughing.

"Call off the search. You will all receive a D-Rank's pay." Kushina said between giggles.

"H-hai. Thank you, Uzukage-sama." He bowed to the others and left to call off the search.

"Wow. So they were looking for me for the whole night until this morning?" Naruto asked.

"Yes." They all replied.

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"Hahahaha!"

"Hahahaha! Well done Naruto-kun!" Arashi said, patting his grandson.

"Ten hours and ten minutes. And that was because he wasn't aware they were still looking for him. The search would have gone longer if he didn't come in time to report." Kaede said, reminding the others.

"Wow."

"Just so you know, there are still about two thousand and seven hundred clones remaining." Naruto informed them as he sensed his clones. Most of them were hiding while the others were running away from STORM. He mentally ordered them to dispel one by one every one minute.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!" Kushina, upon realizing something, shouted. "I lost to Naruto-kun! My baby beat my record!" She wailed, although also feeling proud.

"Now, now. Time for breakfast. Let's go back to the house." Tsunade said, motioning for everyone to walk to the dining room.

 **Time Skip – About Two Years Later**

After that incident, Naruto used the shadow clones to his advantage to speed up his training. His family told him to keep the special use of the shadow clone a secret. So he did. His chakra reserves have gone larger and still continued to build up. Thanks to his lessons in the academy, he also had more control in chakra now. His grandmother, Tsunade, gave him chakra control lessons during the weekends while his mother, Kira, and Kaze helped him with his kenjutsu. Minato, Minako, and Narumi helped him with elemental manipulation. Although he was immune to genjutsu, his aunt Natsuki still tutored him on the subject every weekends and told him to invent his own genjutsu techniques. Mio and Miho helped him with the other subjects, as well as weapons mastery. Aside from the six sword style, he had chosen the Bo Staff as his secondary weapon. Naruto received his elemental swords on his sixth birthday. The fire sword was a gift from his Aunt Mei and Uncle Rikkoudo. The ice sword was a gift from his four siblings. The wind sword was from his father and the water sword from his mother. The earth sword was from Tsunade and the lightning sword was from Arashi. He still hasn't decided names for his swords. He got his elemental Bo Staff from his Aunt Natsuki, also a birthday gift, and named it Stunner.

About three months after they started at the academy, Sasuke finally awoke his Sharingan due to the heavy training they've been taking. Tobi taught him about the Sharingan and their clan's family jutsus during the weekends.

Rock Lee, on the other hand, had chosen to become a taijutsu master. He was apprentice to the veteran samurai Kaze and received whole day lessons every Saturday. For his weapon of choice, he had the nunchakus. He was also taught by Tsunade every Friday afternoon the same technique she uses to enhance her physical attacks. Since Lee will be using mainly taijutsu, it was a great idea to combine monster strength to it.

Kurama Yakumo was taught by Natsuki in genjutsu. She made great progress within two years. She was also able to invent two of her own genjutsu. The Burning Coffin Burial and the Poison Ivy Entanglement. Her jutsus had been added to her achievements record and got the first jutsu classified as an A-Rank while the second one being B-Rank.

Seven months after getting his seal fixed, Gaara finally managed to make friends with Shukaku. The one tailed demon helped him and his siblings train and taught them the Suna's long forgotten techniques, the ones that were used before the first shinobi war.

Fu's friendship with Chomei also got stronger. The seven tailed demon taught her jutsus from her old village, Takigakure, and started training the girl using demon chakra.

In Konoha, Neji was made the new Hyuuga Heir after Hanabi's kidnapping. Unknown to them, the girl was also brought to Uzushiogakure and got reunited with her sister, Hinata, and their mother, Hitomi. Their mother had them use the name Uzumaki as it was their birthright and was no longer affiliated with the Hyuugas. Hitomi was brought back to life with the use of the Shinigami masks nine months after Tsunade's recovery. Hinata and Hanabi received training with their Byakugan from their mother.

Shion was also doing great in her training. Naruto found an interesting way to counter the girl's seeing of people's deaths. The boy suggested they use a blood clone and had it die the same way she saw the person die in her vision. It proved effective when Shion saw Hanabi's death when she was being taken from Konoha. After that incident, kids their age no longer feared Shion and her visions. The girl had more friends. Miroku and Shion were very thankful of Naruto for his ingenious idea, making Shion's crush and respect for the boy increase.

Karin received training from Narumi and sometimes Kushina. They found out that she too possessed a strong ability for the Uzumaki Chakra Chains. They also found out that she was a strong sensor. Karin also received apprenticeship to Tsunade in medical ninjutsu.

Lastly, Tayuya finally opened up with the group and became friends with Naruto and his friends. Although there were times she acted irate whenever girls fawned over Naruto. Tayuya also established a good relationship with the Sound students due to her love playing the flute and using genjutsu with it, the same way Kin uses bells tied on her senbons.

Minako and Narumi formally took their seats as the Uzukages in Niuzu. The island was now surrounded by strong whirlpools and was also covered by thousands of seals including demon restriction seals. The people living there started learning the shinobi arts and received the new technologies from the mainland-Uzushiogakure.

Otogakure also finished its construction and finally became considered a minor village. With its secret alliance with Suna and Uzu, Oto continued to steadily grow stronger.

In the Land of Rain, the Akatsuki finally managed to defeat Hanzo and his followers. Within two months after their arrival, they quickly managed to recruit people to their cause and found the rebels. More than ninety percent of Ame sided with the Akatsuki and wanted the current leader dead. After fifteen months of closed rebellion, they finally came into the open and fought the leader and his followers. All of those who opposed Akatsuki had been mercilessly killed. With Nagato as the new leader, he had the city rebuilt and got it blooming within three months with the help of Yahiko and Konan. All people of Amegakure were now sworn into secrecy and were very loyal to their new leader. Three more months later, the Land of Rain had a change of name. Ame was now called as the Niuzu's Third City. For the outsiders, they still thought that the place was still called Amegakure. The Third City was heavily protected by seals. No spy was able to enter the village. Whenever they tried, they simply exploded into blood and gore as they neared the village borders.

 **Uzukage Mansion**

It was early in the morning, and Naruto was still sleeping in his room. Today was his seventh birthday. He was awoken from his sleep when he hit his head on something hard when he turned.

Naruto eyes flew open and found himself in what looked like a small jungle. He rubbed his eyes and realized he was still in his room. His bed had been turned over and saw a huge tree trunk on its stead. He realized it was the hard thing he hit his head with. There were tree branches all over his room and vines crawling on the walls. Naruto was now starting to panic and tried to call on Kurama to ask her if he was under some kind of genjutsu. When he got no response, he lost it. He freaked out and tried to stand up but could not as there were tree branches and vines.

"KAA-CHAN! TOU-CHAN!" Naruto shouted in a high pitched voice. He was very scared now. "KAA-CHAN! TOU-CHAN! BAA-CHAN! OJII-CHAN! AAAAAHH!"

No more than ten seconds later the door was blasted from its hinges also destroying the tree branches that were near. The room instantly got filled with very strong killer intent as six kage level shinobi burst in followed by two squads of STORM. More people came in, Naruto's siblings coming into view behind the STORM squads.

"What's this?" Minako asked as he observed the room.

"Tree branches…" Narumi muttered.

"I don't sense anyone unfriendly. There's no sign of intruder." Arashi informed them. The old man was a sensory type and made a hundred kilometer scan.

"Naruto-kun, what happened?" Tsunade asked as they tried to remove the branches.

"I… I don't know. I woke up when I hit my head on this tree trunk. When I tried to contact Kurama and ask her if this was a genjutsu, I got no response. Until now I can't sense her…" Naruto said while he tried to stop crying.

"Shhh. It's alright, you're safe." Kushina murmured as she comforted her son. She was the first to get near to the boy.

"I-I thought something bad happened… I thought Uzu got invaded… I thought I was the only one left…" Naruto whispered, still crying.

"Shhh. Nothing bad's going to happen to Uzu and to her people. Kaa-chan promises you that." Kushina said as she kissed the boy's forehead to calm him down.

"B-but Kurama… What happened to her? I can't feel her." Naruto said. He felt another pair of arms and saw his grandmother beside him. Naruto stared at the necklace Tsunade was wearing as he noticed it was radiating something and was glowing green. Tsunade noticed the boy staring and was surprised when she noticed its glow.

Something flashed to Tsunade's mind and immediately, she removed her necklace and wore it to Naruto's neck.

"Naruto-kun… Channel your chakra and relax. Just relax. You're safe now. We're here." Tsunade murmured.

The boy nodded and took deep calming breaths. He closed his eyes and tried to gather chakra. The necklace then started to glow blue and radiated a relaxing aura. After about ten seconds, the small forest started to disappear. The trees, branches, and vines sunk down to the floor and soon vanished. The damage caused by the mini forest started to repair. When he opened his eyes, he found his room back to normal and sensed Kurama's presence once again.

"Mokuton…" Tsunade whispered. "You have Mokuton…"

 **Chapter Twelve End**

 **Author's Notes:**

1\. In my story, the two countries, Land of Demons and Land of Marshes, are located in one huge island. Also, the Land of Marshes has no actual leader and is simply an extension of Oni no Kuni. I'm just clearing this up since some of you might be confused as in the canon, Numa no Kuni is allied with the Land of Fire. In my story, they are not.

2\. Sakon and Ukon are twins. In the canon, they are normally attached together with Sakon being the main body. In my story, they are not. Sakon and Ukon **live separately**.

3\. Koyuki Kazahana is the **same age** as Naruto.

4\. In the canon, Naruto is two years older than the rookie batch. In my story he is the **same age** with them.

5\. Orochimaru is not crazy about immortality. He's a good guy. There is still a curse mark but he only gives it to his ninja as a reward once they graduate from the academy. He only gives them to his most trusted people. The Sound Four and Team Dosu will receive it when they become chunin. In my story, it will be called as **"The Sound Mark"**. Instead of becoming demonized, those who have it will have musical notes markings on from their forehead down their upper arms when activated.

6\. In my story, Storm Release is a **Kekkei Touta**. A combination of water, wind, and lightning elements. In the canon, it is only a **Kekkei Genkai** of lightning and water.

7\. I have no proper training in Kenjutsu. I've been describing the stances and the moves the way I see it whenever I watch videos about it. So don't flame me. Correct me if you have knowledge about it.

8\. Naruto's sword fighting style is based on Killer Bee's, but instead of seven, Naruto only uses six swords. In the canon, there was no name for it. So in my story, I will be naming Bee's style as the **Butterfly Style**. For Naruto's, the six sword fighting style will be known as the **Dance of Six Deaths**. In my story, Naruto will be the one to invent this kind of style and will be the first to use it. Of course, he doesn't know about Bee almost having the same style as his. I've uploaded a photo of how he holds his swords with his basic stance before he spins and fights. Please check if you're confused with my description in the story.

9\. Please check out my profile for the list of terminologies I've made up.

10\. **An explanation about the character, Uzumaki Rikkoudo and his two wives, Mei and Natsuki:**

Uzumaki Rikkoudo, as mentioned in chapter twelve, is a Kekkei Yontouta. He has the Wind, Fire, Lightning, and Water as his main affinities. He can do the Storm Release (Wind, Water, and Lightning), Steam Release (Fire and Water), Boil Release (Fire and Water), Ice Release (Wind and Water), and lastly, Gods' Punishment (Combination of Storm Release, Ice Release, and Fire Release), his own invention of jutsu. He is married to Uzumaki Mei and Uzumaki Natsuki. Rikkoudo stands six feet and three inches tall. He has long black hair tied into a ponytail, and loves wearing long sleeves and a long coat. He also wears combat boots that can be imbued with chakra. He has a wide collection of long coats and trench coats. His main choice of weapon are two kodachis that he hides in his long coat. He also has six sets of tantou hidden in his sleeves.

Uzumaki Mei is the eldest daughter of Arashi and Tsunade. She is married to Uzumaki Rikkoudo. Her skills and looks are the same in the canon. While in Kiri, she and her husband hide their true identities and were known by the people there as Mr and Mrs. Terumi.

Uzumaki Natsuki is a genjutsu mistress. She is also married to Uzumaki Rikkoudo. Rikkoudo married her and Mei at the same time. Natsuki stands five feet and eight inches and has long black hair. She also has a ninja dog named Duran. (If you've watched Mai HiME you know who I'm talking about). Her choice of weapons are highly advanced weapons that are called pistols. The bullets are unlimited as long as she has chakra. Natsuki is also a kage level shinobi like Mei. She also has the Ice Release.

11\. Naruto will not be reawakening his Rinnegan until he reaches the age of eighteen. It will be in my second story. Yes, I plan to make a sequel for The Lost Maelstrom. Just like Naruto got Naruto Shippuden. This is why I gave him the Mokuton.

12\. If you think that Naruto's way too powerful, remember that in the original story, Naruto was also powerful. He was already powerful before he even became a genin. Just imagine if he received proper training and education in Konoha... Now, in my story, he receives proper training while at a young age.

 **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND THAT'S IT! CHAPTER TWELVE END! IN CHAPTER THIRTEEN, NARUTO AND HIS FRIENDS WILL BE NOW GRADUATING. KONOHA'S DEMISE IS GETTING NEAR! REVIEW, FAVORITE, AND FOLLOW TO RECEIVE UPDATES!**


	13. Chapter 13: Waves and Whirlpools

**Merry Christmas to everyone!**

 **I do apologize for the long wait. I've been very busy because of school and truth be told, I just recovered my files since my mother went on a rampage and destroyed my laptop, including the USB I'm plugging as backup. The files got corrupted. Thankfully, I managed to restore them. I've learned my lesson now, I'm making online backups. That's the thing I forgot to do. Anyway, I hope this chapter make a good Christmas gift for you all. Enjoy reading!**

 **Chapter Thirteen: Waves and Whirlpools**

 **Time Skip – Five Years**

 **Konohagakure**

It has been almost seven years now since the incident happened. Konohagakure have recovered from the raid. Although slowly, investors have returned and once again made contracts to hire ninja from Konoha to do work.

Two years after the "Kumo and Iwa Raid", the Uchiha Clan almost tore the village apart into a civil war. They did not like the treatment they were receiving. Those who had knowledge about Tailed Beasts still blamed the Uchiha for the Kyuubi's rampage almost six years ago. The hatred towards them increased after the consecutive attacks the village received after the Raid. With the whole clan backing him, Fugaku planned on taking over the Leaf. The Hokage somewhat found about the Uchiha's Coup d'etat thanks to Shisui Uchiha who wanted peace. He managed to avoid civil war by peaceful means. Sarutobi offered Fugaku a higher place in the village and made a public announcement about the Uchiha Clan, making up a story and telling the villagers that the Uchiha Clan was a clan who loved the village and did everything they can to protect it, that the Kyuubi Incident was only an accident and were not caused by them. After the declaration, the villagers were no longer hostile to the Uchiha and started to become friendly with them once again. Fugaku and his kinsmen were satisfied with this and forgave the people of their actions and attitude towards them.

Two years ago, the elders Shimura Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu finally woke up from their five year comatose. When the three found out about the following attacks after they were put into coma, they were horrified with the news and the events that followed. Danzo was angered and demanded Sarutobi to declare war against Kumo and Iwa. Sarutobi managed to diffuse the tension and informed them that he had been doing his best by blackmailing the two village leaders. After some convincing and giving black news, the Hokage managed to steal Kumo and Iwa's contractors and had them ask work from Konoha instead. Although pleased with this, the three were annoyed with the fact that they can no longer sleep no matter what they do. Whenever they took sleeping pills, they will simply get major headaches. The same effect happened when they tried force sleeping jutsus on themselves.

The Hokage was very confident of his blackmailing that he did not even consider thinking that he might have angered the Tsuchikage and the Raikage, in which of course he had successfully done. On the first three years of receiving blackmail from the Hokage, the Kumo and Iwa leaders tried their best to ignore the letters and forgave the old monkey. When Saru finally pushed them to their limit, Ohnoki and Ay made a secret meeting and after a year of negotiations and trash talking, the two finally came into an agreement, with Kiri following a few months after the civil war. As of now, Kumo, Iwa, and Kiri are in a secret alliance. Their plan was to attack and destroy Konoha in the coming Chunin Exams. Unknown to the two male village leaders, they were not the only ones planning to make a move against the Leaf during the said exams.

The civil war in Kirigakure ended three years ago. The bloodline faction of course won. Uzumaki Mei, or Terumi Mei, as non-Uzumakis know her, became Godaime Mizukage. A week after the war, it was then revealed that the Yondaime Mizukage had been under the influence of a genjutsu, and more specifically, an Uchiha's Genjutsu. The news about an Uchiha causing war in Kiri travelled throughout the elemental nations quickly. Upon learning about this news, the Mizukage received an invitation from both Tsuchikage and Raikage proposing an alliance to destroy Konoha for their crimes. The people of Kiri wanted to wage war to Konoha when they were informed about the Yondaime Mizukage being controlled, but they couldn't do anything about it as they suffered heavy losses due to the civil war. When Mei told her village about Kumo and Iwa's proposed alliance, they immediately agreed to it and actually pleaded their Mizukage to accept the offer. With the Godaime's leadership, Kiri was back to its feet in less than two years. Now that the Chunin Exams were coming, the Kumo-Iwa-Kiri Alliance was now making final preparations for Konoha's supposed destruction.

Sarutobi, however, never imagined that villages will gang up against the Leaf. The Hokage had been planning to use the Chunin Exams to their advantage to attract more customers and people who will hire Leaf Nin. Since Konoha will be hosting this year's coming Chunin Exams, he asked the Jonin Senseis to train their to-be students hard in the coming months before the said event.

This year's graduating batch mostly consisted of clan heirs and prodigies. Sarutobi had been keeping a close eye on the nine of them and already planned their team assignments. This year's graduating batch consisted of: Uchiha Sasame - daughter of the Uchiha Clan Head, a prodigy of this year's batch. Although only a to-be genin, her skills are almost on par with a low chunin level. Her teammates will be the Inuzuka Clan Heir – Kiba, and the Heir of the Aburame Clan – Shino, another prodigy. The next team consisted of the Hyuuga Heir – Neji, the daughter of Konoha's weapons master – Tenten, and the daughter of a civilian councilor representative – Haruno Sakura. Neji was also a prodigy that is a rival of Uchiha Sasame. He too had the skills that can match a low level chunin. Sasame and Neji tied for the Rookie of the Year. Tenten was a weapons mistress and also took her training seriously. Sakura was a bookworm and was the second highest girl in their batch. The next team was the next generation's Ino-Shika-Cho Trio. No need for an explanation for that.

 **Hokage Office**

"Kakashi. You will be the the Jonin Sensei of this year's Team Seven. Since you wield the Sharingan, I'm putting Uchiha Sasame in your team. The other two will be Inuzuka Kiba and Aburame Shino."

"Oh. The Uchiha Prodigy? I hear she's a stuck up arrogant little shit." The silver haired jonin said, still keeping his eyes on his porn book.

"Never let Fugaku hear you saying that. Although I must agree with you, the girl's a brat. I wish them luck on their bell test." Sarutobi said while chuckling to himself. He took his pipe and puffed smoke before continuing.

"Guy. You will be the other prodigy's jonin sensei. You will have Hyuuga Neji on your team. The other two members will be Tenten and Sakura. You will be Team Nine."

"Asuma. You will be the jonin sensei of this generation's Ino-Shika-Cho Trio. You will be Team Ten."

"That's all. I wish them all luck. I hope they all pass the bell test. Any questions?" Asked the Hokage.

"Err…" Said Asuma. "Pops, you skipped Team Eight…"

"Oh. Don't worry about Team Eight." Sarutobi said as he stood from his desk and faced the window and puffed smoke from his pipe. "I already have members and a jonin sensei in mind. Team Eight will be especially created as backup for the chunin exams. The members will be composed of ROOT ANBU while their sensei will be Yuhi Kurenai, whom I will be promoting to jounin next week. Do not tell her anything about this meeting. Dismissed."

 **Uzushiogakure**

It has been five years since the family discovered Naruto having the Mokuton Bloodline. That incident was dubbed as Naruto's First "Morning Wood" that earned laughs to the elders. Naruto's batch is currently on their seventh year in the academy meaning they will be taking their graduation exam – go on an A-Rank Mission. Since their batch consisted of prodigies, the Uzukage and the council have decided to send their batch to an S-Rank Mission.

During their academy days, Naruto and his classmates learned extreme chakra control exercises, ninjutsu, medical ninjutsu, elemental manipulation, weapons mastery, genjutsu, taijutsu, summoning, and collaboration techniques. They were also put into situations where they had to learn to immediately devise a plan, choose the right decisions right on the spot such as life or death situations. They were also trained into the art of the shadow where they performed assassinations, infiltrations, and extreme stealth in broad daylight and open area.

Naruto' level was currently on par with a jounin on normal standards. During his time in the academy, he mastered his created sword style – The Dance of Six Deaths, created three S-Rank jutsus, added elemental manipulation on the Rasengan, and mastered the Hiraishin. His Hiraishin no Jutsu creates an orange flash that gave him another title – "The Orange Maelstrom". With the help of a STORM Operative named Tenzo, Naruto also learned to use his Mokuton Bloodline.

Tenzo was created in one of Orochimaru's previous base in Konoha. Without the Snake Sannin knowing, Danzo Shimura broke into his lab and nurtured kidnapped babies and implanted Hashirama Senju's DNA in them. Eventually, Danzo destroyed the laboratory when he found out that the experiments died. Through the orders of the previous Uzukage who were friends with Orochimaru, STORM Operatives went to the lab and found one survivor. Under the care of Tsunade, Tenzo was raised up and eventually joined the STORM at the age of thirteen. Nobody else knew about the boy's Mokuton abilities aside from the Uzukage's Family and all STORM Operatives.

Naruto can now call upon the powers of wood release without losing his connection with Kurama. Thanks to the scrolls the STORM recovered during the second to the last raid, his abilities with the Mokuton was now better than Tenzo's. Since Naruto had the Mokuton naturally, he was able to produce and control wood easier compared to the STORM.

At the age of twelve, Naruto now stood five feet tall. His long blonde hair was tied in a ponytail while is two bangs hanged freely in front of his face, making him look more "hot" for the girls. He now wore a white long cloak with orange foxes and fires on the bottom of it. On the inside, he wore black long sleeves and a dark blue vest with the symbol of the Uzumaki Clan in the middle. On the bottom part he wore a dark blue combat pants with lots of pockets and a lastly, a black combat boots that can transform into a short sword when channeled with chakra.

During his third year, Naruto met a blonde teenager named Deidera. The teen declared to everyone in Uzu that he was his proud sensei. Deidera taught Naruto in the arts of explosion. Before Deidera met Naruto, he was a member of Akatsuki and helped overthrow Hanzo the Salamander. He finally got information about his student after he gained Nagato's trust. After three years of apprenticing Naruto, Deidera returned to Ame, or the Third City, and once again took his position as a member of the Akatsuki.

Naruto has in his arsenal the Paper Jutsu Konan taught him, the Bombing Techniques Deidera taught him, the Fire Fox Rasengan and the Wind Style Rasenshuriken, Mokuton, the Dance of Six Deaths, and the things he learned from the academy plus three more S-Rank jutsus he created with the help of his Uncle Rikkoudo. His control with Kurama's chakra was also doing well, he can now call up to the seventh tail without losing consciousness.

Meanwhile, Sasuke awakened his Mangekyou Sharingan on their sixth year to the academy due to the extreme training they had. Tobi naturally took him under his wing and helped him train with the Uchiha Clan's jutsus and especially, the jutsus for the Mangekyou. So far Sasuke can do the Kamui with a mild chakra drain while the Amaterasu drained him half of his reserves. He can, however, complete the level one stage of the Susanoo with only a small drain of his chakra. Sasuke was two inches taller than Naruto. He wore a dark blue long coat with the Ancient Uchiha Crest on the back. On the inside he wore the same clothes Naruto wore. Except that his long sleeves were dark blue instead of black. Sasuke's long raven hair was also tied into a ponytail. When it wasn't tied, he looked exactly like Madara back when he was also younger, which scared Tobi. Ironically, it was Naruto who inherited Madara's famous attitude during battle, which scared Tobi even more.

Meanwhile, Hinata and Shion grew up looking identical except with their eyes and hair. They both wore lavender clothing with a hoodie that made them look like twins whenever they were together. They became best friends due to them both having feelings for Naruto. Although not placed on the same team, they made a good duo whenever they battled. Hinata's affinity was water while Shion was lightning, making their ninjutsu attacks even more dangerous.

Like his friends, Lee also had long hair. His hair however was long enough to reach his waist, with the end tied together. His hairstyle looked exactly the same as the males from Konoha's Hyuuga Clan. Lee wore samurai clothing and armor like the one his sensei Kaze wore. Under apprenticeship to the veteran samurai, Lee can now open up to the Seventh Gate. His taijutsu techniques was stronger and more dangerous due to the fact that Tsunade trained him as well.

Yakumo Kurama was more confident now compared to the last time she was in Konoha. She can now alter reality into illusions with multiple layers as backup without difficulty. Yakumo was now hailed as Uzu's Genjutsu Princess, with Natsuki still being the Genjutsu Queen. Yakumo wore simple clothing like the ones Hinata and Shion wore.

Fu on the other hand wore clothing that showed her fine toned stomach. She wouldn't have to worry about her armor because of her ability to harden her skin thanks to the demon sealed inside her. Speaking of the demon, Chomei and Fu's friendship was now stronger. Fu can now call up to four tails without losing consciousness.

 **Uzukage Office**

"Good morning. First of all, I would like to congratulate each and every one of you for making this far. Today, you will be receiving your graduating mission. Complete the mission and you pass. Fail it then you all go back to the academy to study and train for another year."

The Uzukage sat behind her desk while the graduating batch stood in attention and listened to her. The jonin senseis were also present in the office and stood beside their leader's desk.

"Normally, teams would be sent on different missions to perform their test. This batch, however, will be sent on a single location and will have the same objective. Your mission is to reinstate a small country from a tyrant and raise the Uzumaki Flag once again in that country. In other words, you will be conquering a small country. You're going to Nami no Kuni. The time has come for the Uzumaki Clan to resurface from hiding."

The Uzukage paused and watched the academy genins. Seeing no protests or whatsoever from them, she continued.

"Wave Country is currently ruled by a Drug Lord, who happened to be one of the richest people in the Elemental Nations. The Wave was once a rich country before they lost connection to Uzu because of the Kumo-Kiri-Iwa Alliance. The country became poor when Gato took over and stole the country's wealth and businesses. He was also the one behind the assassination of the Wave Daimyo and his family. Gato uses its people as slaves and trades the women to other big-shot syndicates. Kill Gato and his followers. Destroy his bases. Find the people who had been traded and return them to Wave. Return what Gato stole. Help them rebuild and convert Wave into Niuzu's Fourth City.

I hear a man named Tazuna is building a huge bridge to connect Wave to Fire Country. Convince him to destroy it and create a bridge connecting to Water Country instead. Tazuna is a childhood friend of the former Uzukage. Just let him know about Uzu's current status and you'll get the villagers' favor easily.

This mission is an A-Rank and has a high chance to become an S-Rank, considering that Gato's a wealthy man. He probably has one or more S-Class Criminals under his payroll, so I highly advice you to review the latest edition of our bingo books. Prepare to face nuke nins that can rival even an Uzumaki Chunin. Defeat them and let the rest of the world know of your strength. The time has come for the world to recognize the Uzumaki Clan once again."

"Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto, since you are the top student of your batch, I am assigning you as the main leader of this mission. Who you assign as the small teams' captains is up to you. Use your time to talk with them and devise a plan. You have two days to prepare. I'm giving you a maximum of five months to complete this mission. May Kami bless you and your classmates. Dismissed."

Naruto and his classmates bowed and left the office. Their senseis however remained and waited for the Uzukage to speak.

"You will be watching them in the shadows to evaluate their performance. You are strictly not allowed to assist them during the mission unless they're in the face of death. Only when they have eliminated Gato and his followers you will show up to help them with the country's restoration."

 **One Day Later**

 **Uzushiogakure Academy**

Naruto was currently in front of the classroom writing on the board. He was now briefing his classmates about the mission.

"Alright, listen up." Naruto said. "Right after we were debriefed for the mission, I immediately sent out three dozen clones to scout Wave. They arrived at the country last night and started relayed information. From what they have seen, the situation there is really bad. The country's being guarded by criminals so no villager could escape. Gato has hired the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist as well as another S-Rank Criminal named Kakuzu. My clones also managed to find Gato's bases and some of his operations. My clones are still tracking the places where the Wave Citizens were being shipped."

Naruto took out a marker and began writing on the board.

"According to the latest edition of the bingo book, the seven ninja swordsmen of the mist left and became rogue when the civil war broke out. All seven are masters of the silent killing technique and were the strongest warriors in Kiri before they left. We wouldn't have to worry about the mist since our wind jutsus are strong enough to blow it away. Our main focus now is fighting them head on. We cannot be too confident against them. The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist are famous and feared for a reason.

Jinin Akebino, the strongest of the seven, wields the Kabutowari. His weapon is a single sided axe chained to a hammer on the other end. It is said that the sword can break any kind of defense.

Kisame Hoshigaki, an S-Rank criminal, who is also known as the Tailless Bijuu, wields the Samehada. The Samehada is a sentient weapon that has the ability to eat chakra and transfer to its wielder. Kisame was chosen by the sword itself due to his very high chakra reserves.

Mangetsu Hozuki, who is reputed as the Second Coming of the Demon, can wield all seven blades. As of now he currently wields the Hiramekarei. The Hiramekarei is a sword that is capable of storing and emitting the user's chakra which can then take on various forms.

Kushimaru Kuriarare wields the Nuibary. It is a sword that is in shape of a needle with a long thin wire attached to it. It can be used to pierce through victims and sew them together.

Zabuza Momochi, the First Demon of Kiri, is the one who wields the Kubikiribocho. It is a giant sword that has an ability to restore itself using the iron absorbed from the blood of those it cuts down.

Travelling alongside Zabuza is a boy named Haku. Haku is the same age as us and has the Hyoton Release. Like his master, he is also jonin level.

Next is Jinpachi Munashi who wields the Shibuki. The sword is huge and has a scroll full of unlimited explosive tags incorporated into it, lined up behind the blade.

Last swordsman is a kunoichi named Ameyuri Ringo. She wields the Kiba blades, twin swords that are imbued with lightning which increases its cutting power.

Another S-Rank Criminal is Kakuzu who came from Taki. As we all know, Kakuzu was the only assassin sent to kill Senju Hashirama and survived after the attempt. Kakuzu is hailed as immortal as he lives up to this day. STORM Operatives managed to uncover his secret. Along with the Kinjutsu Earth Grudge Fear, Kakuzu uses and has five hearts or masks for each element, meaning he has five lives. His main heart is earth and has the ability to make the other four hearts separate from his body and take another form. In order to kill him completely, all five hearts must be destroyed before he gets the chance to find new victims to replace his destroyed hearts.

These nine are our main problems. The rest are A-Rank criminals or lower that we can easily kill. When the battle commences, our first objective is to kill the other mercenaries before the nine could respond and attack us back. Since our class has nine teams, I will be assigning a target for each team that matches with the enemy's abilities.

Team One will be me, Sasuke, and Hinata. We will be facing Kisame Hoshigaki since we are all heavy hitters.

Team Two will be Fu, Karin, and Lee. Fu will be Team Two's Captain. They will be fighting Kakuzu. Since two of the other hearts can take a form that can fly, Fu will be the best match for them as she can also fly while Lee takes care of the other hearts with Karin as support using her chakra chains to restrain the other hearts down.

Team Three will be Tayuya, Shion, and Yakumo. Tayuya will be Team Three's Captain. They will be fighting Mangetsu. It will be a perfect match since the enemy is a member of the Hozuki Clan, who has the ability to transform their bodies into water making them invulnerable to physical attacks at times. Shion has a strong affinity to lightning which she can use to her advantage whenever Mangetsu turns himself into water while Tayuya and Yakumo are genjutsu users. Tayuya can use her Doki for physical confrontation while still at a distance. Yakumo can put the enemy into a genjutsu preventing him from liquefying himself.

Team Four will be the Subaku Siblings. Gaara will be the team leader. Team four's opponent will be Jinin.

Team Five will be Sakon, Ukon, Jirobo, and Kidomaru, or as they call themselves, The Sound Four. The twins will be the team captains. The Sound Four will be fighting Zabuza.

Team Six will be Dosu, Kin, and Zaku. Dosu will be team captain. Team Six will be fighting against the Hyoton user Haku."

Naruto then assigned the remaining swordsmen to the three remaining teams.

"Teams Three to Nine are to immediately assist Team Two take down Kakuzu once they have dealt with their opponent.

Since Wave isn't far enough, we will be entering wave in an invasion-like manner. Each team will come from a side. One from the north, east, west, south, northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast. My team will be arriving in the middle of the village. I already had my clones mark various places in the village with Hiraishin tags. We will attack all at once. So we're going to have to wait for the other teams to be in position. Kill all enemies as quick as possible. Create clones and have them escort the villagers into a safe location. Our nine strongest opponents will be no doubt guarding Gato. That will give us the chance to kill the rest of the man's followers, leaving them the only ones in the end."

Naruto then took out sealing tags and began drawing on them. After a few minutes, he handed each one to his classmates.

"That is a special tracking seal I made. Activate it by applying your own blood to it. It will then dissipate afterwards. That seal will allow us to communicate with each other mentally even on great distances."

His classmates nodded and activated their seals. Once done, Naruto nodded to test it.

 _"Alright. Can everyone hear me? Raise your hand if you can."_ Naruto said.

Everyone in the room raised their hands and got an approving nod from their mission leader.

"Good. We're going to one of our training grounds and have it morph into a replica of Wave Country and make an invading simulation. My clones just finished scouting the whole country and sent me the whole outline. Let's move."

The class never noticed the other presence in the room, which were their senseis. They were giving their nods of approval and were amazed by Naruto's quick thinking and leadership skills.

 **Later that night**

 **Uzushiogakure Streets**

Naruto and his friends just finished their attack simulation and were heading to Ichiraku's. They were having a good time along the way.

"Yo!" Naruto called as he entered the restaurant. "Good evening, Teuchi-san, Ayame-chan."

"Good evening, Naruto-kun! The usual order for you and your friends?"

"Hai. Triple the servings for me since we will be going on a long term mission. I won't have Ichiraku Ramen for about five months."

"Alright, then. Please make yourselves comfortable." Teuchi smiled as Naruto and his friends found a table for sixteen. "Ayame, you're free to go. Join them for dinner."

The chef's daughter nodded and happily walked towards Naruto's table. She sat beside him and took out a book from her bag and stared at Naruto expectantly.

"Hmmm?" Naruto asked.

"Come on, Naruto-kun. Sign it." Ayame said as she pressed the book towards the boy's chest.

"Heh. So, did you like it?"

"Yes! It was great! I hope you could write a sequel for it. At least make three books."

"Ehh. If many people like the first book, then I will." Naruto promised.

"Alright then. Now sign this for me please?" Ayame said while pouting. Naruto's classmates watched them in confusion.

"Naruto-kun. What book is she talking about?" Asked Hinata.

"Oh. This." Naruto took the book from Ayame and showed them. The book was entitled, "The Whirlpool Princess".

Everyone's jaw dropped. Sasuke was the first to recover. "Wait. You're the one who wrote this book?" He said as he took out the same book Ayame had. The rest of Naruto's friends did the same and took out their own copies of The Whirlpool Princess and handed it to Naruto to sign.

"I didn't know you wrote this book. Naruto-kun! The story is awesome! And to think that it has been only a week since it got released, many people have already bought it." Lee said, the others nodding in agreement.

"Hihi. Thanks, I guess. I'm glad you liked it. I didn't expect it will be that popular considering it was recently released."

"You are so humble, Naruto-kun! Everybody knows you are a genius, of course your book will be famous real fast! Now please sign our copies!" Lee excitedly said.

"It explains why some scenes in the book are familiar." Shion commented as Naruto signed their copies.

"How come you guys never realized?" Ayame asked.

"We didn't know." Everyone said.

"Naruto was too busy training. I never thought he'd have the time to write a book." Sasuke reasoned.

"I… Um, used shadow clones while I was training." Explained Naruto.

"Well, that explains it."

"Alright! Here's your order!" Teuchi interrupted. "Extra servings for everyone since it is your graduation mission. And don't worry about the expenses, it's on the house tonight. Eat and order all you can!" The old man said as he placed the bowls in front of the genins.

"Oh, and Naruto-kun. Let's just say I'm going to consider your autograph as payment for the meal tonight." Teuchi said as he also took out a copy of The Whirlpool Princess and handed it to the boy to sign.

"The Whirlpool Princess" was a book written by Naruto. He and Ayame had a conversation about him writing a book one time he was dining at Ichiraku's. Ayame only meant it as a joke while Naruto took it seriously.

The story was about an orphan girl who was treated as a pariah by the village she lived at. Eventually, she found out that she had a living family. Through a dream, she managed to contact them. After a few days, operatives were sent to rescue her. When she got to her real homeland, she found out that she actually came from a royal family. There she started a new life.

Naruto based the story from his real life story. He planned on writing two more books that will be the sequel. Now that he found out that his first book already sold many copies, he will be writing the sequel soon.

 **The Next Day**

 **Land of Waves Border**

 _"We're on position."_ Said Fu through the mental link.

 _"My team's ready to kick some ass."_ Tayuya proudly said, earning snickers from her classmates _._

 _"Team Four Awaiting orders."_ Said Gaara.

 _"The Sound Four's ready to kick some butt as well!"_ Sakon said. _"Yeah!"_ Ukon agreed.

 _"Calm down guys. Team Six on position as well."_ Said Dosu.

 _"Team Seven in position."_

 _"We're good to go too."_ Team Eight's captain said.

 _"Team Nine ready."_

 _"Alright."_ Naruto said. _"We strike in three… two… one…"_

 **Nami no Kuni**

BOOOOM! WHOOOSH! SLASH!

Sounds of battle were heard throughout the whole island.

"They're coming! Prepare for battle!" A mercenary bandit said before a kunai pierced his skull.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Cried one mercenary as he got crushed and buried alive by a sand coffin.

 **Village Center**

"What's going on?" A boy screamed while his mother hugged him in a protective manner.

An old man was also with them. He had an idea of what was going on but before he could answer, there was an orange flash in front of them. One of them quickly created dozens of copies of him and began to slaughter Gato's mercenaries that were near the area.

"Ugh. How come you and your family's enjoying the sensation? I think I'm going to be sick." Sasuke said.

"Oh, shut up. Don't be a baby. Look at Hinata, she's fine." Said Naruto.

"Um… N-Naruto-kun… I-I think I'm going to be sick too…"

"What?"

"Umm, excuse me." The old man coughed, gaining the attention of the new comers. "Who are you three?"

"Oh. Right. I'm sorry. I'm Naruto. This is Sasuke and Hinata. You must be Tazuna. The beautiful lady's Tsunami while the kid's Inari."

"Um, yes. How do you know us?"

"Long story. Follow my clone. He will lead you to safety and explain everything. Here's password: 'The Whirlpools once again swirl.'"

Tazuna at first wondered what password the boy was talking about. When he heard the phrase, he remembered and understood.

 **Flashback**

 **Wave Country before Uzu's supposed downfall**

"Tazuna my friend, when the time comes, Uzushiogakure will once again resurface from hiding and Nami will finally be as one with Whirlpool. Remember this phrase: 'The Whirlpools once again swirl.' We will contact you again through that. Good bye for now and take care." Arashi the Uzukage said.

 **Flashback End**

 _"What the…?"_ Naruto thought as he sensed a very strong chakra signature.

 ** _"Naruto-kun… That chakra…"_** Kurama warned.

"You guys need to go. NOW." Naruto told the family.

"Please follow me." The clone said.

A few moments after Tazuna's family left, a blue creature appeared in front of Team One.

"So you're the upstarts that killed the other mercenaries. Not that I care about them. Say hello to Samehada." Said Kisame.

"Kisame Hoshigaki, Monster of the Hidden Mist, or also known as the Tailless Bijuu because of your huge chakra reserves, wielder of the Samehada, murderer of Suikazan Fuguki, who was the sword's previous wielder, former member of Kirigakure's Seven Ninja Swordsmen. You are also wanted for murdering your teammates back during a mission." Naruto recited.

"Well done, kid. You've done your research." The nuke-nin said mockingly.

Naruto did not respond but instead told his teammates to scatter.

"So you brats want to play now, huh?"

 _"Initiate Level One attacks. Let's see first how this guy moves."_ Ordered Naruto. Hinata and Sasuke nodded.

The three then began launching waves of kunais, senbons, and throwing stars at the sharkman. Kisame dodged, parried, and evaded the waves of deadly weapons. This continued for three minutes.

 _"Level Two. Go."_ Said Naruto.

The three then launched more waves and this time, the projectiles had explosive tags attached to each. The nuke-nin was now starting to get annoyed.

"Is that all you got? You brats are annoying."

 _"Level Three."_

Hinata and Sasuke then nodded and began weaving seals.

 **"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"**

 **"Water Style: Waterball Jutsu!"**

 **"Lightning Style: Lightningball Jutsu!"**

 **"Water Style: Water Torrent!"**

As the jutsus were called, Naruto simply held his arms out, from his sleeves came out dozens of origami foxes with sharp fangs and wings. The foxes headed straight to its target.

Kisame simply smirked as he dodged and countered the four jutsus with ease using his own jutsus. As the paper foxes neared him, he simply raised Samehada to destroy them. However, he did not expect them to be explosive as well. His clothes got singed and the sleeves got tattered in the process.

"You've done it kid. I'm going to enjoy killing you." Growled Kisame.

 _"Remember, never let him get near you. That sword of his will drain your chakra."_ Naruto warned.

 _"Hai."_ Replied Hinata and Sasuke.

For the next five minutes, Kisame tried to slice the three but always ended up killing a lightning clone or an explosive clone. His clothes were now in tatters while the three remained unscathed. Naruto had this idea of creating dozens of clones and taking the forms of him, Sasuke and Hinata. Whenever they are about to get hit, they will substitute themselves with one of the hidden clones that were scattered and hidden in the battlefield and get hit by Kisame instead.

 _"Time for the real fun. Initiate Level Four attacks."_

"You brats sure know how to fight against someone who wields Samehada." Kisame commented as he watched the three warily.

He was startled when the boys vanished and reappeared on his sides, attempting to slice him. Sasuke now had his katana out and coated it with lightning while Naruto had his Bo Staff coated with wind chakra blades. The three battled with their weapons for about seven minutes. While they battled, Hinata used the jyuuken to seal off the nukenin's chakra points whenever Kisame will be too busy defending himself from Naruto or Sasuke or both. Also, during the battle, Naruto could not help himself but get more and more excited. Kurama felt this and realized her host might soon go all out.

"Hehehehe. You're good. You definitely live up to your title." Naruto laughed. He mentally ordered Sasuke and Hinata to stay back as he sealed his bo staff and unsealed his six swords. He threw them to the air and caught them with his Dance of Six Deaths stance.

"Let's dance." Naruto said, sending chills up to Kisame's spine. Sasuke then realized that this was the thing Tobi feared about the blonde. Right now, Naruto was about to have a "Madara Moment".

 **Team Two's POV**

Fu, Lee, and Karin were doing fine with their own battle. Earlier, Lee managed to destroy the nuke-nin's water heart about seven minutes after they started fighting. Kakuzu made the mistake of underestimating his opponents and cost him one life. Another reason was because of his mind being too focused about Gato and the money he will be receiving once he deals with the "weaklings".

Right now Lee was battling against the lightning heart while Fu fought against the wind heart. Karin held the fire heart at bay with her chakra chains while also keeping Kakuzu's main body which had the earth heart from interfering.

 _"This is taking too long. We haven't been able to destroy another heart for almost twenty minutes now."_ Lee thought as he dodged a chain of lightning bolts.

 _"Lee, Karin, we need to take this to the next level."_ Fu replied as she flew after the wind heart while also dodging wind cannons.

 _"Right."_ Nodded Lee.

 _"Understood."_ Said Karin.

 _"Chomei! Let's do this!"_

 ** _"Right!"_**

 **"Tailed Beast Mode Version Two!"** Yelled both Fu and Chomei.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Lee yelled as he stopped attacking and went into a stance.

 **"Kaimon: Kai (Gate of Opening: Release)!"**

 **"Kyumon: Kai (Gate of Healing: Release)!"**

 **"Seimon: Kai (Gate of Life: Release)!"**

 **"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"** Proclaimed Karin as she bit her thumb and slammed the ground.

Red chakra flowed out of Fu's body and later got completely covered by it. Fu was now standing on four as her seven chakra tails waved freely.

Meanwhile, Lee was now covered by an orange aura. His once black straight hair now looked spiky and orange. Orange lightning crackled around him as he channeled more chakra.

On the other hand, Karin was now standing on top of a red dragon.

 _"Attack!"_ Fu commanded.

 **Team Three's POV**

"Hahaha! Take that, shithead!" Tayuya screamed as her doki smashed their target. Team three was now dominating the battle against Mangetsu. With the combination of Yakumo and Shion's attacks, the swordsman's water form became useless. He now had no choice but to fight in solid form.

Earlier, they were on the losing ground as the Hozuki relentlessly attacked them, giving them no time to coordinate attacks. The tables turned when Yakumo successfully managed to capture Mangetsu on a genjutsu even on a short time. That short moment gave them the opportunity to proceed with their planned attack.

Yakumo repeatedly cast the **Burning Coffin Burial** against the swordsman restraining his movements. Mangetsu would morph his whole body into water to extinguish the flames. However, Shion would simply bombard him with lightning jutsus. Since they fought on water, the lightning jutsus' damage increased drastically. Earlier, Mangetsu thought that he would easily overpower team three as their battle terrain was on a lake. He now realized that his opponents really did prepare for him.

Mangetsu smiled as he slowly fell. He congratulated the three for defeating him and apologized to them for underestimating them earlier. "Suigetsu, avenge your brother." were his last words.

The three nodded and sighed in relief as they finally defeated the swordsman. Tayuya took out two scrolls and sealed Mangetsu's corpse in one and the Hiramekarei in the other.

Just then, they felt a disturbance in the atmosphere.

"Hmmm, it seems that Lee's activated the inner gates. Fu's gone into tailed beast mode since I sense demonic chakra. I also smell dragon fire. Karin must have summoned her partner… Team two's going all out. We need to assist them. Let's move." Tayuya commanded.

 **Team Four's POV**

 _"We must hurry. Fu's gone into tailed beast mode already."_ Gaara told his siblings through the mental link.

 _"This guy is too strong. He even managed to destroy my puppets."_ A winded Kankuro said.

 _"This swordsman's no joke. He even made me use up to my fan's fifth moon."_ Replied Temari.

 _"I can still use the broken limbs to attack him. Temari, I'll combine my poison darts with your wind jutsu."_

 _"I got it."_ Temari replied as she now opened her fan wholly, showing seven moons.

 _"You got five seconds. Attack while I distract him with my sand."_ Gaara said as he raised his arms and formed sand spikes and sent them flying towards their opponent.

 **"Collaboration Technique: Poisoned Wind Blades!"** Kankuro and Temari said as the girl did a thousand and eighty degree spin and released hundreds of giant wind blades. The puppet user released all poison darts and had them fly along his sister's attack. Due to the strong wind, the poison darts' speed increased drastically. Jinin was unable to dodge the barrage of attacks and had to use the Kabutowari to deflect the darts. His efforts were in vain as he still got pierced by dozens of poison darts.

The swordsman's movements became sluggish until he became totally still.

 _"Damn it. I got defeated by brats? No. This poison is nothing. I can still fight."_ Jinin thought as he channeled more chakra to nullify the effects of the poison. "YOU'LL HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN THAT! RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Surely, but slowly, he once again began to move. He charged towards the nearest target, who was the red haired boy.

 ** _"Let me out! Chomei's out! Let me out too!"_** Whined Shukaku, sounding like a child, in which of course he was. At least in tailed beast terms, he was the youngest with Kurama being the eldest.

 _"Fine. Finish this guy already so we could help team two."_ Gaara replied as the swordsman neared.

Red chakra poured out of the redhead's body, encasing him with it. As Jinin raised the Kabutowari to pummel the boy, a singular tail of chakra grew from the boy's back. Gaara simply raised his arms and held the enemy's blade by the blunt side.

"Wrong choice of target." Gaara told the swordsman, making his eyes widen in fear.

"Th-that chakra! It's like the Yondaime Mizukage's!"

"Correct. Any last words?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH! DIE, DEMON!" Jinin screamed as he applied more force to bring his weapon down. Gaara merely redirected the attack and tossed his opponent like a ragdoll, due to his current mode, his strength and power greatly increased.

Jinin was sent crashing towards a tree. Due to the force of it, he got two broken ribs and a dislocated leg in the process. One rib pierced through his lung making his breathing difficult. He tried to stand up but found that he could not as he saw sand quickly wrapping around his body. The sand continued to cover him until it was only his face that was visible. **"Grand Sand Burial."** were the last words he heard before he left the world of the living.

Team Four waited for a whole minute before Gaara released Jinin's broken body from the sand prison. He took out two scrolls sealing the corpse into one and the Kabutowari to the other.

"Let's go. Team Two requires our assistance."

 **Team One's POV**

"I'm going to have shark sushi tonight! Hahahaha!" Naruto laughed manically as he continued to battle with Kisame. During their dance, Naruto already managed to inflict dozens of large and deep gashes to the swordsman. Kisame was dumbstruck with the boy's style of kenjutsu. When their sword dance began, he tried to keep up with the boy but found that he could not as he found no patterns with the boy's attacks. To his persistence trying to read the boy's movements, he received cuts as a reward.

Naruto came at Kisame spinning while the sharkman kept up. The swordsman saw a slash aimed to decapitate him and raised the Samehada. The blond of course noticed this and changed the direction of his spin. He instead spun upwards and successfully cut off Kisame's left arm.

"AAAARGH! YOU BRAT!" Kisame howled as he disengaged and jumped backwards. He mentally sighed in relief when the boy did not come after him.

 _"This is not good. I'm going to end up dead if I keep on fighting. I've lost against the blonde kid alone, if the two decides to assist, I'm done for."_ He thought as he gritted his teeth.

Naruto noticed the swordsman's eyes looking at all directions.

 _"He's planning something big…"_

Right to his thoughts, he saw Kisame's chest swell up as he gathered chakra. Immediately, he mentally warned Hinata and Sasuke to get to a safe distance.

 **"Suiton: Baku Suishoha (Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave)!"**

Kisame spit out a great volume of water from his mouth, swallowing up and crushing the entire battlefield, the waves advancing towards Naruto and his teammates.

When the waves died out, Naruto looked around and found the landscape devastated and turned into a lake. He immediately looked for his teammates as he could not find Kisame.

"Hinata-chan, are you alright?" Naruto asked in concern as he helped the girl up.

"I'm okay, Naruto-kun. Thank you."

"Sasuke?" The blonde asked his best friend.

"I'm fine. What do we do now?"

Naruto closed his eyes and felt the surroundings. He opened them once again as he pinpointed Kisame's location.

 _"He's headed to team two's location. Let's go."_ Naruto mentally informed them before he took off and chased after the monster of the mist.

Sasuke and Hinata were a bit startled when Naruto spoke to them mentally. Hinata subtly activated her byakugan and found a squad of Kiri ANBU nearby, watching. She mentally informed Sasuke who had a confused look as they followed after their leader.

 _"Yo, Naruto. Are we really letting those Kiri ANBU live to tell the tale?"_ Sasuke asked as they caught up with the blonde.

 _"Yes."_ Naruto replied simply.

Sasuke looked confused and went silent as they headed towards team two's battlefield. After a minute of silence, the raven haired boy started laughing.

"Hahahaha! I get it! Hahahaha!"

"Uhh… Get what, Sasuke-kun?" Asked Hinata.

 ** _"Your Uchiha friend has finally lost it. He's gone mad like his sensei. I wouldn't be surprised if he started talking in third person."_** Kurama told Naruto, making him sweatdrop.

"Hahaha! Naruto, you mofo! Hahaha!"

"Finally understood now, have you?" Naruto asked, smirking.

"Haha. Yeah. So that was why you told us to stand down. You fought one on one against Kisame to show those Kiri ANBU your skills." Sasuke said.

Hinata finally understood what the boy laughing about and remembered Naruto saying something about him wanting to be put in the bingo book. "So that was why you told him your full name during the battle."

"Yes." Replied Naruto. "They'll report this incident to the Mizukage. Of course, she already knew about this going to happen. Those Kiri ANBU were supposedly sent to hunt down Kisame and retrieve Samehada."

Sasuke and Hinata nodded in understanding and continued with the chase.

"We're near. It would seem that Kisame has joined the battle against team two." Naruto said as he heightened his senses and felt his surroundings. He felt twenty one other chakra signatures approaching. "Teams three to nine have defeated their opponent and are headed to team two as well."

 **Team Two's POV**

"Damn it. This shark guy's annoying." Karin said as she, Fu, and Lee regrouped.

Earlier before Kisame arrived, Fu managed to destroy Kakuzu's wind heart thanks to her tailed beast mode version two, while Lee also managed to kill the lightning heart using the **Ura Renge (Reverse Lotus).** Karin and her summoned dragon were about to destroy the fire heart but were taken by surprise when Kisame joined the battle. Karin momentarily dispelled her summon while she and her teammates planned for another approach.

"You brats are good. I give you that." Kakuzu said as he stood beside Kisame.

Team two did not respond but smirked instead as teams three to nine finally arrived and had the two S-Rank Nuke-nins surrounded. A moment later team one also jumped down beside them.

"You Uzumakis really are a pain. I will be back and feed you all to Samehada." Kisame said.

"I'm going to hunt you all down when you have your bounties on your head." Kakuzu promised as he recalled his fire mask to his body.

"Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto. I'll have my arm back and I will come for you." Kisame said.

 **"Katon: Zukokku (Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work)!"**

 **"Suiton: Baku Suishoha (Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave)!"**

Kakuzu and Kisame both called out their jutsu. Kakuzu produced a huge firestorm and combined the attack with Kisame's.

A heavy concentration of steam covered the area causing everyone to have their senses dull. When they finally got read of the smoke using wind jutsus, Kakuzu and Kisame were gone.

Naruto, being the strongest sensor in the group, performed a half-mile scan radius but found no signs of their opponents. "Damn it. They escaped."

"I believe those two work together. The way they regarded each other, they seemed like partners." Karin informed her classmates. "They did not care about the other swordsmen dying."

"That could be troublesome. Thanks for that information. Anyway, my clones have captured Gato. Let's go."

 **Wave Village Central Area**

Naruto and his classmates found Gato in the middle of the stage. The clones let the villagers vent out their anger towards the gangster and took turns beating him up. As Naruto walked towards the stage, Gato shakily looked at him.

"P-please, I can pay you. Lots of money. Just let me live." He pleaded.

"I don't do business with dead people." Naruto said as he borrowed Sasuke's katana and used it to hack the fat man's head off.

Later that night, Nami no Kuni held a celebration as they were finally free from Gato's rule. With the help of Tazuna, Naruto explained to the villagers their mission. The people whole heartedly accepted them and were now sworn to secrecy. That very same night Wave Village officially became Niuzushiogakure's Fourth City. The jonin senseis finally showed up and congratulated their students for doing a great job. Now they will focus on rebuilding the village and turning it into a prosperous city under the Uzumaki Flag. They already informed the Uzukage of the students' victory against Gato and his army. Now they are going to rebuild while also remaining vigilant in case more enemies show up and try recapturing Wave.

 **Chapter Thirteen End**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **1\. About the Eight Inner Gates, I changed the effects. In the anime, the aura color is green from gates one to seven and red when eight. In my story, the auras are different. Here are the respective colors per gate:**

 **First Gate - Green**

 **Second Gate - Yellow**

 **Third Gate - Orange**

 **Fourth Gate - Red**

 **Fifth Gate - Violet**

 **Sixth Gate - Blue**

 **Seventh Gate - Light Blue**

 **Eighth Gate - Whitish Blue (Look up bunsen burner roaring blue flame. That's the color I'm talking about)**

 **2\. Review, Favorite, and Follow to receive updates! Happy Holidays!**


	14. Chapter 14: Meeting Six

**GATHER CHAKRA FOR YOUR FIRE AND LIGHTNING JUTSUS AND CAST THEM TO THE AIR! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! :D**

 **Chapter Fourteen: Meeting Six**

 **Time Skip – One Week**

 **Secret Location**

"I trust you have something important to tell us, Mizukage-dono." Ohnoki said. Due to his back problem, he was really grumpy at the moment. So he did not want to travel for a long distance. But since the Mizukage have called for a meeting, he and the Raikage had to attend.

"Yes. It is something that concerns the Hidden Leaf and the Yellow Flash." Mei replied. Her response immediately got the attention of the two kages, especially the one from Iwa.

"What of him?" Ohnoki nervously said.

"You see, last week, I tasked a squad of my ANBU to track down missing nin Hoshigaki Kisame to retrieve the Samehada since I received intel that he was near Water Country. However, they returned to me empty handed and reported what happened…

Kisame fought one on one against a boy, estimated age is eleven to thirteen, in a kenjutsu match. What surprised me is when my ANBU told me that the boy easily bested the swordsman and was able to cut off his left arm, and also gave him lots of deep cuts during their intense battle. In the end, Kisame had to flee. During the battle, the boy identified himself as Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto. My ANBU described him as a mini version of the Yellow Flash. What made him easy to recognize as not Minato was his three whisker marks on each cheek. The boy also had company. One was a Hyuuga girl that they easily identified because of her eyes. The other one is a raven haired boy that I deduced as an Uchiha due to the description they said."

"That's… troubling." Ohnoki muttered.

The Raikage, however, was silent for a few minutes before he spoke again.

"Hmmm, as I have already shared to you, last week, our spies in Konoha delivered important news. The Hokage has assigned elite jonins to be the senseis of this year's graduating batch. These jonin being Kakashi of the Sharingan, Konoha's Green Beast Guy, and Asuma who was a member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja. Sarutobi asked them to train the rookies hard for the coming chunin exams. The Hokage plans to take advantage of this event for Konoha to gain more contractors. Asuma noted that the Hokage skipped "Team Eight" specifically, to which he replied that he already had people in mind to put there. He said that team eight will be specifically made for the chunin exams, with the team being composed of Root ANBU. The sensei, however, has no idea that her team will be composed of already experienced ninjas. The jonin sensei assigned for team eight will be a woman with the name of Yuhi Kurenai, who will be promoted from Tokubetsu Jonin to Jonin."

The kages were once again silent. Ohnoki was thinking hard while Mei simply waited for them to speak as she already knew about it.

"This news about Minato's son and the two people with him…" Ohnoki started. "These are the children we tried to kidnap. After the failed kidnapping, the Hokage relentlessly sent us blackmails and demanded Iwa and Kumo to return the children. But it seems that they were never kidnapped by another village."

"I think I can see where you're going, Tsuchikage-dono… About Konoha's team assignments… what if these Root ANBU Sarutobi was talking about were these three?" Ay asked.

"That was I was thinking. Anyway, I also have this implication that the Konoha Raid was staged."

"Staged so that Konoha will have the reason to start an international incident against Kumo and Iwa?" Mei asked, still feigning ignorance. This was the plan. Make the two kages see more reason to attack Konoha. Just like they did when the Alliance tried to destroy Uzushiogakure. Konoha, Kumo, Iwa, and Kiri will be destroyed in a one fell sweep move by Uzu when their armies clash.

"Yes." Ay and Ohnoki replied at the same time.

"If we'll think about it now, there were no casualties during those consecutive raids by unknown attackers. The supposed targets were mainly the Namikaze, Hyuuga, and the Uchiha. The raids were a way of provoking you to attempt a kidnapping since everyone would naturally think that Konoha was vulnerable at that time. The kidnapping act made it look like that those three children vanished. But the truth is, they simply added them to their Root ANBU Program, training them in secret. Now that the exams are coming, Konoha will finally let them out in the open once again." Mei said.

Both Tsuchikage and Raikage strongly agreed with the statement. Their bodyguards also agreed but kept silent since their job was to protect their kages and not to join with the meeting. Meanwhile, Rikkoudo was concentrating as he was relaying the live meeting to Uzu's whole council so that they could hear about it as well.

"What are you suggesting we do about this?" Mei asked.

"I strongly suggest that we expose them. Not openly, but by adding the Namikaze boy to the bingo books. If he was able to defeat Hoshigaki Kisame alone and make him flee, then he clearly is an S Rank nin. Probably SS like his father."

"I agree with that decision. The boy is strong, I give him that. At least we could warn the world about this new threat. If he's already as strong as he is now, he could very well be an SS Class when he reaches his peak of age. We could only hope that the boy doesn't know the Yondaime's techniques."

 _"Oooooh, just wait, you old geezers. My nephew's going to destroy your armies using the Hiraishin."_ Mei thought.

Meanwhile in Uzu, Kushina and Minato could not help but feel proud of their son. Ohnoki regarded Naruto with fear while Ay clearly had respect for the boy. The other council members were laughing at Ohnoki as he imagined Naruto knowing how to do the Hiraishin. The Tsuchikage could be very well pissing in his pants right now.

"Alright. So we're going to put him in the bingo book. What about the other two?" Mei asked.

"They're not that much of a threat for now. This Naruto, however, we already know his Kenjutsu as S Class. His other abilities are still a mystery."

"I'll be sending you the information we have about the boy right after this meeting. Expect my fastest messenger bird tomorrow." Ohnoki said.

"Same. I'll also share what we have about him." Said Ay.

"Very well. The sooner we update the bingo book, the better. I'll wait for your mail. Until then, we prepare for the chunin exams." Mei said as she stood from her seat, the two kages following and standing up as well. They shook hands and then parted ways.

 **Konohagakure**

 **Hokage Office**

"Sensei." Jiraiya called as he entered the office through the window.

"Jiraiya-kun. News?"

"Yes. Gato is dead."

"Gato? As in that guy among the top richest persons in the Elemental Nations?"

"Yes. Apparently he was killed last week. I did my investigation when I heard it because I did not believe at first. My spies in the underworld organization have confirmed it. His riches apparently weren't actually his and were stolen. Now that he's dead, his banks have been mysteriously emptied. There were also no response from his known bases."

"How could this happen? He's supposed to be rich and probably has a lot of strong mercenaries around him."

"That's what baffles me sensei. I'm still investigating it. I'm going to track his last whereabouts and report back to you as soon as possible. His killer or killers must have been very powerful for them to be able to kill him. These mysterious people could be a problem for us in the future." Jiraiya said as he left the office once again.

 **Land of Tea**

"AAAAAAAAAAND CUT!"

"Perfect! Wonderful! Great acting as usual Yukie-chan!" The director said.

A girl who was about the same age as Naruto sighed in relief as they finally finished taping for the scene. Fujikaze Yukie was filming her very first movie, Princess Fuun. They were about to finish the movie and had less than ten scenes left. Her manager, Asama Sandayu, helped her to a seat and gave her a bottle of cold water.

"Well done, Koyuki-sama. If there's anything else you need, just let me know." Sandayu said while he wiped the girl's sweat.

"Sandayu-san, you're calling me by that name again. If someone hears us we will be in trouble." The girl whispered.

"Forgive me, Yukie-chan, I just got excited. I'm sure your father will be proud of you now that you've become an actress and fulfilled your dream." As he said it, the girl's face immediately fell, sadness clear on her face.

"Father…"

"His death will be avenged, I promise you that. For now we lay low and earn money with your acting. Soon we'll be able to hire an army to help us overthrow your uncle and reclaim the Land of Snow."

"Right." The girl said, now determined. "This is why I'm doing my best in acting."

"Yes." Sandayu smiled and patted the princess' head.

Koyuki and Sandayu have been on the run for more than five years. They finally settled a year ago once they were sure they have lost their pursuers and trackers. Sandayu had the princess change her name for her safety. They were given protection by a veteran shinobi who happened to recognize them as he was once a traveler before he started in the movie industry. The person reassured them that he will keep their secret and will protect their identities.

Goku was once a Konoha shinobi who defected after the attack on Uzu. He was good friends with the Yondaime and the Red Death and fought alongside them during the Second Great Shinobi War. He defected because he found out about Konoha's treason against the Uzumakis. His heart could not take it when he also heard the Yondaime supposedly committed suicide due to depression. He did not know about Naruto being alive so he left but would have stayed and protected him if he did. Right now he was glad Konoha never pursued him after his defection. Mainly probably because there were also others who defected aside from him and Orocimaru. He lived his days now as a director of his own movie productions.

Koyuki smiled and looked at Sandayu. "Have you seen my book? I'd like to read The Whirlpool Princess again."

"I can see why you love this book so much." Sandayu said as he took out a book from his bag and handed it to Koyuki.

"It inspires me. It's really good."

Just then the booming voice of the director startled the two.

"Did I just hear you say The Whirlpool Princess?"

"Um, yes, Goku-san…" Nervously replied the young actress, afraid that the director might not like her reading another book aside from the one they are filming.

Suddenly the director had hearts in his eyes as he took the book from the girl and hugged it.

"Oooh, such masterpiece, this is! I'd really love to meet the author of this book. If we could convince him and grant us permission to turn his book into a movie, it will be really great! Since the protagonist is a girl and is the same age as you, Yukie-chan, you will be the main star of course! This is just perfect! With this book rising to the list of the top sellers, we will great make profit if we could turn it into a movie!" Goku said as he handed the book back and waltzed away while muttering plans for him to find the author. Perhaps some shinobi skill application might work.

 **Time Skip – One Week**

 **Konohagakure**

 **Hokage Office**

Sarutobi was puffing smoke in his pipe while he signed some papers. He was startled when the window of his office suddenly slammed open. He looked up and saw his student, Jiraiya with a solemn look.

"What is it?" The Hokage did not even bother greeting him and proceeded with business, seeing the white haired pervert's expression.

"Here. Look." Jiraiya took out a copy of the latest bingo book and opened to a certain page, placing it down on the desk for the Hokage to read.

Sarutobi dropped his smoking pipe as he saw a picture of a familiar blonde kid.

On the top of the page was a picture of Naruto taken during his battle against Kisame.

He narrowed his eyes as he read the contents of the page.

 _"Name: Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto_

 _Title: The Juggernaut_

 _Age: 12_

 _Height: 5'0''_

 _Weight: Unknown_

 _Affiliation: Unknown_

 _Genjutsu Mastery: Unknown_

 _Ninjutsu Mastery: Unknown_

 _Kenjutsu Mastery: S Rank (Primary: Six Swords; Secondary: Bo Staff)_

 _Taijutsu Mastery: S Rank (Uses the super strength technique the same as Tsunade of the Sannin)_

 _Elemental Affinity: Unknown_

 _Bloodline Limit: Uzumaki Clan's Quick Regeneration, Long Life, and Vast Amounts of Chakra_

 _Unique Abilities: Can use origami for offensive attacks and is very proficient in Fuinjutsu_

 _Description: Can be easily recognized by his three whisker marks on each cheek. His long blonde hair is tied by a ponytail while his two bangs were supported by an unmarked forehead protector. Almost looks like the Yondaime Hokage except for his whisker marks. His parents are Konoha's Yellow Flash and Yondaime Hokage – Minato Namikaze, and the Red Death – Uzumaki-Namikaze Kushina. His whisker marks are caused by his being the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. Became an orphan and a jinchuuriki the day he was born. Like most jinchuuriki, he lived in isolation and was ostracized by everyone in Konoha before he vanished at the age of five. He was allegedly kidnapped by Iwa nins but this was never proven. Reappeared after seven years in hiding. He has shown great proficiency in kenjutsu during his battle against the Monster of the Mist who have gone rogue. Uses an unknown style of kenjutsu with six swords. Defeated Hoshigaki Kisame on a one on one match by giving him multiple deep sword cuts while also managing to cut off the nuke-nin's left arm while he remained unscathed. He was last seen in Water Country chasing after the fleeing said nuke-nin. Travelling with a female Hyuuga and a male Uchiha around his age whose names aren't identified._

 _Level: S Rank_

 _Bounty: 60 Million Ryo_

 _Note: FLEE ON SIGHT if chuunin level or lower. He is still an unknown so there is a chance that he knows the Hiraishin. If you see him wielding a three pronged kunai, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE. If you happen to encounter him and survive, report it to your kage immediately. Iwagakure is offering an extra 30 Million Ryo for his head."_

The Hokage was silent for a long time as he reread the page multiple times.

"H-how?" Sarutobi croaked. His throat became dry due to what he read.

Jiraiya could merely shrug as he too was a loss for words.

 **Uzushiogakure**

 **Uzukage's Office**

The Uzukage, her family, and the other clan heads were also reading the latest edition of the bingo book and were now discussing about Naruto

"He's already an S-Class, huh?" Remarked by the Kaguya clan head.

"That's no surprise, his performance in the academy's already proof of him being a promising ninja even at a very young age." Said Hyuuga Hitomi.

The others nodded in agreement as they continued to talk about the blonde.

Kushina, however, could not help but feel worried for her son. Naruto was now in the bingo book and had a large bounty.

Minato, seeing his wife's worried look, massaged her shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "I'm sure Naruto-kun knows what he's doing. Besides, this is what he wanted. People always looked to him as the son of the Uzukage or the son of the Yellow Flash. He wanted to step from our shadow and be recognized as himself, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto. I believe this is a good thing for him. People will recognize him as someone strong not because he is our son but because he is very dedicated to his shinobi training to protect the ones he care for."

"Don't worry, we will still protect him with our lives even if he's already reached this level." Arashi said.

"We're not letting him get harmed especially by Konoha." Tsunade said.

"Anyway, Uzushiogakure's starting to resurface. Once we've made ourselves known once again Naruto-kun will be given immunity due to him being the son of a kage. Should someone try to assassinate or kidnap him, it will be an act of war. They'll be damned." Kaede said.

Hearing this, Kushina nodded and allowed herself to relax. It has been two weeks now since her son and her classmates left for Wave. So far, nobody has tried to attack the village after their battle against Gato and his mercenary army.

 **Unknown Location – Secret Cave**

A black and white creature could be seen eating a corpse of what looked to be a hunter-nin. As the creature finished its meal, it began to talk as it took out a book from the vest of its victim.

"It seems that the kid you fought has already found his way to the bingo book."

"The kid got lucky. I was just taken by surprise, that's all." Kisame replied.

"Ha! Taken by surprise! And by a kid! Hahahaha what a fucking noob! And you're supposed to be the monster of the mist. What a fucking pussy." A dark haired teenager with a three bladed scythe said.

"Shut it, you tranny. Or I'll feed you to Samehada."

"Just try it, fishcakes! I'm going to enjoy offering you to Jashin-sama!"

"That's enough, you two. Kisame, how is your arm?" A masked man said.

"It's good now, Madara-sama. I will be murdering people again in no time."

"That's good to hear. I want you to get back on track taking missions. The organization still needs funding."

"Understood, Madara-sama."

"For now, I will be switching the pairs. Hidan and Kakuzu will be working together while Kisame and Sasori will be the new partners."

The masked man then turned to the creature.

"Zetsu, I need you to scout around the elemental nations to look for more possible recruits while the others do mercenary missions. We need four more members." The masked man said before he vanished in a black vortex.

 **"Understood** /Understood." Replied Black and White Zetsu before they sunk down to the earth.

 **Nami no Kuni**

It has been two weeks since their battle against the missing nins. Naruto and his classmates were currently resting in their cottage after a whole day of helping with the village's construction. Naruto was currently having a friendly conversation with Kurama but were interrupted in his thoughts when he heard a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

There was no reply but instead a book was slid in through the bottom slit of the door.

Naruto walked closer and recognized it as a bingo book. His classmates who were chatting with each other noticed and huddled with Naruto.

"What is it, Naruto-senpai?" Dosu asked. His other classmates also regarded him now as their higher up due to his intelligence, strength, power, and authority.

"The latest edition of the bingo book." Naruto replied as he walked towards the living room and sat on the sofa, all his classmates following him, curious to see its new contents as well.

Naruto opened the book and scanned to the latest page and found his picture on it. He smirked as he read the contents about him.

 ** _"Sixty million ryo, huh? And an additional thirty million from Iwa. Well done, Naruto-kun."_** Kurama remarked, amused.

"Oh, look. We're mentioned as well." Sasuke pointed out.

"But they do not know our names." Hinata said.

"No problem. We'll introduce ourselves next time." The raven haired boy replied, earning snickers from his classmates.

 **Time Skip – One Week**

 **Konohagakure**

A week has passed since the latest release of the bingo book. Konoha right now is in an uproar due to what the description about the boy they've known as the "Kyuubi Brat" said. Those who had been close to the Yondaime's family especially Kakashi were not sure what to feel at the moment. There were a few who did not believe the bingo book's contents but most people and especially shinobi have finally seen the resemblance between Minato and Naruto. Some were feeling sick in their stomach due to the treatment they gave the boy while the others were angry at the higher ups for keeping it a secret. Now they have no idea where the boy was.

 **Hokage Office**

Kakashi, Asuma, Guy, and other elite jonins were in the room. Kakashi was being held by Guy to keep his rival from pounding the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama." Kakashi breathed hard. "With all due respect, we need an explanation for this. How come you never told us? How come you never told me?!"

"Stand down, Jonin." Sarutobi growled, emphasizing at the man's rank. "I did what's best. I had to keep it a secret so other villages won't try anything, especially Iwa."

"And now it worked so well, huh?"

"If you had known he was your sensei's son, would you have treated him differently?" Sarutobi remarked. "If you really was the student of your sensei, how come you never realized he wasn't the demon brat but instead your sensei's legacy?" This made the one eyed jonin shut up.

Asuma was disappointed at his father while Guy kept mumbling "Unyouthful."

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama." Kakashi bowed as he left the office, the other jonins following.

Sarutobi motioned for the hidden ANBU to show up. Four masked figures appeared kneeling in front of the Hokage.

"I want Fugaku, Jiraiya, and Danzo in this room in five minutes."

"There will be no need to call for me." A voice said as the door opened, revealing the one eyed war hawk.

"Go." Ordered the Hokage.

The ANBU left silently leaving the two veterans alone.

No less than five minutes later Jiraiya and Fugaku were also in the room.

"Fugaku, I want to know what kind of genjutsu you used on the demon brat, now that it has been removed and people now see him as the Yondaime's son."

The Uchiha clan head began explaining the name and the effects of the genjutsu he used. After talking, Sarutobi simply nodded in understanding.

"Oh well, it has been twelve years. It's bound to expire. Anyway, we need to talk about your daughter." He said, now turning at Jiraiya. "I want Sasame to be apprenticed by Jiraiya up to the coming chuunin exams. I want her to have the toad summoning contract as well."

"Sure, no problem. It has been ages since the last time they had a summoner. And besides, I'm old. Hahaha. They'll need a younger summoner." Jiraiya said. "Fugaku-san, if you're okay with it, then I could start training her tomorrow."

"That would be a great honor. I will speak with my daughter about this later. Thank you." Fugaku said.

"Danzo, my friend." Sarutobi called. "I would like your Root to go looking for Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata. It's time they returned and served Konoha. Feel free to do whatever you want as long as they become part of Root."

"That seems a great idea. Very well, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." Danzo said.

Jiraiya and Fugaku nodded and left the room as well.

 **Time Skip – Four Months**

 **Nami no Kuni (Niuzushiogakure Fourth City)**

It has been almost five months since the graduating batch arrived. The bridge connecting to Water Country's Port was finally finished. With the help of Naruto's Mokuton, the building process only took five months instead of two years. The buildings in the Fourth City looked luxurious thanks to the great architects and engineers' designing and planning. With Uzushiogakure's advanced research, buildings are much stronger and look grander. Everywhere you look you can see mansions and high rise buildings.

Back in Uzu, the first battle tanks, airships, and warships have been produced and were brought to the Fourth City for testing. Fourth City will be open and will be made known to the world as under the flag of Uzushiogakure. In other words, the higher ups have the intentions of luring other villages to try and attack so that they could see how effective the machines work. The people of the Fourth City of course knew this and were actually ecstatic about the idea of a village attacking a newly reconstructed village and its defenses. Since everyone in the Fourth City are civilians and have no shinobi training, these advanced machineries could help them greatly. There were also new models of projectile launchers that were given to them for arms. There were two new inventions, one was a launcher that could launch a hundred kunais, senbons, or stars per thirty seconds. The other one was another launcher that could launch stored jutsus sealed into tiny scrolls. This launcher increases the power of the jutsus tenfold, making it very deadly for the enemy.

Of course, there are still seals placed all over the village in case the people needed help. Thanks to the great wonders of Fuinjutsu, the Uzumaki Clan have invented huge rooms filled with seals that allow living and non-living objects to be transported to another area where a similar room is located. The room is secure since it only recognizes villagers and shinobi from Uzu. These rooms could be used for immediate evacuation, delivering products, or a way of bringing in reinforcements in case of emergency.

The graduating batch together with their senseis are celebrating with the villagers. Everyone was at the newly constructed ballroom. Tazuna was currently at the stage and was in the middle of a speech.

"As the temporary leader of the Fourth City, I would like to thank everyone who had graciously helped rebuild this village into prosperity. In behalf of the people here, we would like to thank Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto and his classmates for liberating us under the tyrannical rule of Gato. Had they not come, we would still be in poverty and more of our women would have been sold as sex slaves. We also thank their senseis for teaching them everything they knew and making them the fine shinobi they are now. Tonight starts a new beginning for the people of this village." The old man nodded and took a glass of champagne. "A toast for the graduating batch and their successful mission! A toast to the soon to be promoted! A toast for the new Fourth City!"

"YEAH!" Everyone replied as they raised their glasses and drank.

The people spent the night celebrating along with the soon to be promoted.

On the following morning, everyone was once again gathered to see Naruto and his classmates off. Once again the people of the Fourth City thanked them for their great help and extended it to the Uzukage. Naruto and his classmates along with their senseis bid their goodbye before taking off to Uzushio.

 **Time Skip – Two Days**

 **Uzushiogakure Gates**

The class finally arrived back to their homeland after five months of being away. Unknown to them, their senseis have informed Uzu about their return.

As Naruto and his batchmates approached the gates, they were surprised to see a huge crowd gathered. The students recognized their families among the crowds. What caught Naruto and his friend's eye was a huge group consisted of girls all of them clutching a book and a pen. Those in front had a banner saying "Welcome back Naruto-sempai!" while some were screaming "Please give me your autograph!"

Naruto's classmates walked forward to greet their families while he remained confused, staring at the group of girls.

 _"Kurama-chan. What's going on?"_

 ** _"Idiot. They're welcoming you back, of course."_**

Naruto simply sighed but smiled at the crowd, making the girls squeal in delight.

"Naruto-sempai! Please sign my copy of your book!"

"Naruto-sempai! You are so awesome!"

"Are you going to write a sequel?"

"Please sign my book!" Were the things Naruto heard. He smiled and began signing the books and answered their question, telling them that he was currently working on the second book, making the fangirls scream in excitement.

After the greetings, the batch headed towards the Uzukage office to report their success.

 **Uzukage Office**

"…and then we bid goodbye and headed back here." Naruto said as he finished his report.

The Uzukage nodded and then gave Minato a knowing smile. He nodded and opened the door, allowing nine jonins inside carrying three chuunin vests each.

"Your senseis have already sent their evaluation about your performance three days before your arrival. The council have already reviewed this and were impressed with the reports. As the Uzukage, I am very happy to inform you that all of you have passed the graduation exam and are promoted to chuunin."

Everyone clapped their hands as the Uzukage handed them their chuunin vests. After everyone wore their new vests, the Uzukage spoke once again.

"Now that you are chuunin, you now carry more responsibilities as a shinobi of your village. Carry your rank with pride and become an inspiration to those who are still at the academy and wishes to become a shinobi one day."

"Since you were away for five months, I am giving you a one week vacation to catch up with your family and friends. After that you are to report to me for duty to receive your first missions as chuunin. Dismissed."

They all bowed and left the room. Naruto however, remained inside the office.

"Yes, Naruto-kun?" Asked the Uzukage.

The boy simply smiled and tackled his mother into a hug. Minato laughed as he ruffled their son's hair.

"I missed you, Kaa-chan, Tou-chan."

"We missed you too, Naru-chan. Congratulations on your promotion."

"Thanks." Naruto grinned.

"Oh, by the way, congratulations as well for your book. The Whirlpool Princess have already released its second edition now with your real name on it. It has been added to this year's list of top sellers." Minato said.

"Hehe. So that explains how they knew."

Kushina simply smiled as she knew what Naruto was talking about.

"Your fan club has gotten even bigger, Naruto-kun. You now both have fangirls and fanboys due to your books and you being on the bingo book. Just don't forget your family, okay?" Kushina teased.

"Ka-chaaaaaaaaaaaaan!"

Out of nowhere, Tsunade and Naruto's siblings appeared and joined the group hug, congratulating Naruto for his promotion and his book success.

Later that night, the family had a celebration and had dinner outside.

 **One Week Later**

 **Uzukage Office**

"You three are going to Mount Katsuragi to look for this person. That is where he was last sighted." The Uzukage said as she handed Naruto, Gaara, and Fu a folder.

"Utakata?" Naruto asked as he read the folder's contents. There was a picture of a teenage boy with hair that covered his left face. The details said that he was a missing nin fom Kiri.

"Somehow, he looks a bit like Sasuke." Fu commented, Gaara simply remained silent.

"Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I chose you three for this mission and why not with your respective teams. Can you guess why?" Kushina asked.

The three were silent for a few moments as they thought of an answer.

"This guy's a jinchuuriki." They all replied.

The Uzukage smiled and then nodded. "Correct. Now, I want you to find him and convince him to join Uzu. The Mizukage personally requested for this mission, she gave us the details why he's gone rogue."

"Gaara and Fu, you are to meet with Naruto at Mount Katsuragi. You leave the village in two days. Here is the map. I'm giving you up to a maximum of one week to complete it. You two are dismissed."

The Uzukage waited for the two jinchuuriki to leave the office and then paid attention to her son.

"Naruto. I'm giving you an S-Class and secret mission. You are leaving the village in an hour and will go to Mount Katsuragi. Look for an old man named Tonbee and a girl named Hotaru. These two are the remaining members of the Tsuchigomo Clan that live in that mountain, while the rest remain in their hidden village.

The Tsuchigomo Clan are hailed and feared during the Third Great Ninja War due to a kinjutsu they created. This technique, called **Fury (Dohatsuten),** could create a massive explosion and is capable of wiping out an entire village. The clan was and is still in a secret alliance with Konoha. The Sandaime and the Tsuchigomo Clan Chief that time made a secret alliance with the sole purpose of protecting the kinjutsu. However, I and everyone in the council strongly believe that the Sandaime only agreed to the alliance so that he could use the kinjutsu to his own selfish purposes.

Your job is to bring Hotaru and Tonbee with you to Tsuchigomo Village and convince the clan to cancel their alliance with the leaf. You will be the representative of Uzushiogakure. War is brewing. We cannot let the kinjutsu fall into the wrong hands."

"Understood."

Kushina stood from her desk and then hugged her son. "Be careful, Naruto-kun."

"I will, mom." Naruto then kissed her mother's cheek before leaving the room to prepare for the mission.

 **Time Skip – Six Hours Later**

Naruto had been travelling for five hours straight now. Since he was an Uzumaki plus the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko, he's far from getting tired. Stopping for a five minute break, he once again checked his map and found he was three miles away from his destination. He unsealed his Bo Staff that he christened as Stunner and once again took off.

As the mountain came into view, Naruto heightened his senses and felt his surroundings. He felt a strong barrier up the mountain and knew he was at the right place. As he climbed up the mountain, he had to dodge and evade multiple traps that sprung. He was impressed at the amount of it and calculated its sheer power concluding that if he got hit, he'll definitely fall off the mountain. Finally reaching the top of the cave, he took a look at his surroundings and spotted the small temple. It was his experience that saved him from getting riddled by a volley of kunais.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Naruto screamed as he dodged the attacks. "Calm down! Tonbee-san, or Hotoru-san, or whoever you are, hold your attacks – YIKES!" Naruto raised his arms in a surrendering fashion and then said, "Will you guys just calm down? I'm not an enemy."

Naruto sighed in relief as he felt the attacks stop. Two figures appeared and came walking towards him. He saw the old man and the blonde girl.

 _"Damn. She's beautiful."_ Naruto thought.

 ** _"Ehem. Focus, Naruto-kun. You're on a mission."_** Kurama reprimanded her host.

Naruto mentally sighed and then nodded.

"Greetings, my name is Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto." Naruto said as he bowed low at the two.

"I am Tsuchigomo Tonbee." The old main said, bowing as well.

"I am Tsuchigomo Hotaru, granddaughter of En no Gyoja."

Naruto shook the old man's hand and so the girl. Hotaru's face blushed crimson red when she locked eyes with the boy.

 ** _"Kami-sama. Not another one."_** Muttered Kurama.

"We apologize about earlier. We did not know Konoha would be sending someone here today." Said Tonbee.

"Uh, actually, I'm not a representative of Konoha, but a different village."

"Hmm, how come? You're the son of the Yondaime, right? You look a lot like him."

"It's a long story. But I have a jutsu that can help us. While it may look as if it is happening for a whole thirteen years, the span is only thirteen minutes on the real world."

"I see. Well, I don't think you are an enemy. I do not sense ill will from you. Please follow us." Tonbee said as they went inside the temple.

"Wait." Said Naruto.

The two then stopped and watched the blonde. Without making seals, Naruto produced six clones. The clones headed to different directions and went down the mountain.

"What are you doing?" Tonbee asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's just a precaution. My clones will create a barrier seal. No offense to you, but, the traps are actually easy to bypass for experienced shinobi."

"None taken." Tonbee smiled.

Just then, they heard the voices of the clones, **"Uzumaki Sealing: Six Point Barrier!"**

Hotaru watched in amazement as a light purple prism covered the mountain.

"There. Now we can talk without worrying about intruders."

The two nodded and led him to the mansion.

As he entered the mansion, Naruto was amazed with how neat it looked even though the place was small. His attention was caught by a large picture frame of an old man with a long beard wearing a white cloak.

"Gandalf?" Naruto asked, making Hotaru giggle.

"No. That's En no Gyoja. Hotaru's grandfather." Tonbee explained.

"Do not worry, Naruto-kun, I also used to call my grandfather that." Said the girl.

 ** _"'Naruto-kun' already huh?"_** Kurama muttered, making the blonde smirk.

"Anyway, if you're ready, I will be telling you of my story and the village I represent."

"We're ready whenever you are, Naruto-san."

"Alright." Naruto said as he made a dozen seal. **"Demonic Arts: Sands of Time!"**

Naruto clapped his hands and a seal appeared on each of his hand. He silently asked the two to hold his hand as he channeled chakra. The moment they held hands, they were pulled into a dreamscape.

They landed on an unfamiliar place.

"Where are we?"

Naruto did not respond but instead pointed at something. The two looked and were surprised to find a younger Sandaime Hokage talking with the younger versions of the Yondaime Raikage, Sandaime Tsuchikage, and the Yondaime Mizukage. This was the scene when the Hokage sold out the Uzumaki Clan and convinced the three villages to attack.

Next scene shifted to the battle of Uzushiogakure. Naruto had to look away as he could not bear to see his mother and siblings heartbroken because of his apparent death. During that scene Naruto could not help but shed a tear when his mother began to wail for him. Tonbee was shocked and horrified as he watched this happen. Hotaru also shed tears as she watched.

Next scene was the attack of the Kyuubi and the sealing of the Yondaime to Naruto.

For the next moments they watched Naruto as a baby up to the point where he dreamt about his parents. Hotaru hugged Naruto tightly as the boy cried upon seeing his past life in Konoha. The jutsu continued to show them Naruto's memories and up to time he got promoted to chuunin and had dinner with his family that night.

The last scene was him receiving his mission and then dodging traps until he reached the top of Mount Katsuragi before the jutsu ended and pushed them back to reality.

Tonbee was a bit dazed about everything he just saw. Hotaru simply jumped at Naruto and hugged him tightly.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know you went through all that. And now you had to watch it again because you needed to show us so we could understand you faster." She sobbed.

Naruto patted the girls' head and ran down his fingers through her hair. "Shhh, it's alright Hotaru-chan. You did nothing wrong."

Naruto then looked at the old man. "Now, Tonbee-san, I'm sure you understand now why you should denounce your clan's alliance with Konoha. They are consisted of manipulators and traitors."

The old man nodded. "The things you have shown us are more than enough for us to be convinced. You should know as well that we're no longer affiliated with the current Tsuchigomo Village. You see, the clan split into two. The other half was loyal to En no Gyoja while the other was not. We're the only two left. As the acting head of the clan, I, Tsuchigomo Tonbee hereby cancel the clan's allegiance with Konoha."

There was a soft gust of wind indicating what the old man just said was true and was now in effect.

As Naruto was about to speak, he stopped as he received the memories of his clones, making him clutch his head for the sudden memory influx.

Hotaru noticed his discomfort and asked the boy in concern. "Naruto-kun, are you alright?"

"Intruders. We have intruders. They are now trying to take down the barrier."

"How many?" Asked Tonbee.

"Five. Although only four of them are working."

"That would be the Magaki Group. They have come to take the kinjutsu so they could use it for their own purposes."

"Magaki Group, huh? A-Rank in the bingo books. Known for their flawless collaboration techniques. Bounty's twenty million ryo for them all five." Naruto recited. "Do not worry. I will protect you two. Listen, I'm going to put down the barrier so I could fight them. Before I do, I'm going to place you inside a small barrier so you'd be safe." Naruto did not wait for their approval and immediately flashed into handseals. Moments later Tonbee and Hotaru were now safely inside the barrier. Seeing them safe, Naruto cancelled the larger barrier and waited for his opponents.

The top of the mountain was huge enough for a wide scale battle. Naruto was thinking what kind of jutsu he'll use against the nuke-nins.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A double pointy chinned guy with a huge shuriken in the back said.

"A bodyguard?" Replied the one who looked like a girl in the group.

"Hey, don't you recognize him?" Said the tallest.

"Yeah. It's the Yondaime." Said double pointy chin guy.

"Idiot. The Yondaime Hokage's dead. That's his son." Said the girl.

"The Juggernaut." The one wearing a fishnet shirt and a vest said.

"Alright boys, we have two prizes here." Said the leader. "The kinjutsu and this upstart. It appears that he's protecting the girl. So we kill him first and then take the girl. We'll become rich when we deliver his head to the Tsuchikage."

 ** _"Tsuchikage, huh?"_** Kurama said.

 _"Huh. So they plan to bring me to Iwa… Alright then. I've decided what jutsu to use. I'm not in the mood to play with them."_ Replied Naruto.

"Shiranami, leader of the Magaki group. The one with the fishnet shirt, Akaboshi, second in command. The double chinned guy, Chuusin. The girl, Benten. And last, the tallest, Nangoo." Recited the blonde.

"Huh, you did your research boy." Chuusin said.

"Hey! I'm not a girl!" Screamed Benten.

"Whatever. Now, you were saying you're bringing my head to Iwa…" Naruto said as he took out a scroll and directed it upwards. Hundreds of kunais shot out from the scroll and covered the whole battlefield.

"Huh? What's that kid?" Sneered Chuusin. "You don't know how to throw your kunais? Didn't your mummy ever taught you? Oh wait, your mama is dead. Hehehe."

What the thieves failed to realize, was that the kunais were no regular kunais but three pronged.

"Any last words?" Naruto asked solemnly.

"Yeah, kid, whatever. We should be the ones asking that." Said Chuusin. His comrades, however, were silent. Those who had brains analyzed the situation and finally saw the structure of the kunais. At that moment they instantly knew they should flee. Four flashes of orange later there were now four corpses without heads. The members of the Magaki Group were no longer in the world of the living. Shiranami looked at his henchmen's corpses and stared at the blonde in horror who was holding a tantou.

"The-the Hiraishin… You can do the Hiraishin…" He stuttered. Remembering the note on the bingo book, he began running for his life.

"Oh, no. You're not going anywhere." Naruto said as he flashed in front of the man and shoved a rasengan on his gut, killing him instantly. "I plan to keep this a secret until the exams you know… Can't let you informing people about it."

Naruto took the bandits' heads and sealed them into a scroll. He burned the corpses using **Fox Fire: Fireball.**

He grinned at Tonbee and Hotaru as he undid their barrier.

"There. You're safe now."

"I…" Tonbee stuttered. "I don't think we're safe as long as we're here…"

"Hmmm, well, if you like, you guys can come with me back to Uzu. In that way your clan's jutsu will be safer."

"Master." Hotaru murmured as she bowed at the boy.

"Eh?"

"Master. Please take me as your apprentice."

 _"What the hell?!"_

 ** _"Go on, Naruto-kun. Accept her as your student. Master. Hahaha!"_**

Naruto stood on his spot, blinking, staring at the girl in front of him.

"I… Uh, I'm not a master ya know…"

"But master…" Hotaru said as she stood up, her eyes gleaming with admiration. "I've seen your memories. You're very strong both in mind and body. Your peers treat you as their higher up. You're the genius in your batch. I saw you destroy the Kiri Swordsman easily. And now I just watched you kill those thieves like they were nothing. Please, take me as your apprentice. I want to become strong like you so that I could protect those precious to me as well as my clan's treasured jutsu."

Naruto sighed as he scratched his head.

"Alright, I guess. I'll be your master, Hotaru-chan."

 _"Kami-sama, that sounds wrong…"_ He thought. Kurama was laughing in agreement.

Hotaru cheered happily and jumped at Naruto, pressing her chests against him tightly.

 _"Oh my god what have I gotten myself into?"_

"Thank you, Naruto-kun. I mean, master."

"Uh, you can just call me by my name. No need to call me master."

"B-but…"

"Alright, alright. Just try not to call me that in public, okay?"

"Hai!"

"Good. Now then, I'm going to send you two to Uzu." Naruto noticed that the old man was silent. He looked at Tonbee and saw him smiling at them both.

 _"They look nice together. Oh, yes. They'll make a great couple."_ Tonbee thought.

"Alright. Since my mission here is an S-Class Mission. We're just going to Hiraishin back to Uzu. We cannot risk other people seeing me with you."

"Understood."

"I'm going to place a barrier around the mountain to keep the place safe from thieves or others."

After Naruto placed the seal, he unconsciously grabbed Hotaru into a tight embrace with his right arm while he gripped Tonbee's shoulders with his left hand. In a flash of orange, they were gone to the Uzukage's Office. Naruto left a clone to explain the situation while the real him hiraishined back to the mountain.

 **Two Days Later**

"Alright. I got Utakata's location. My clones are currently watching him on a distance. Let's get moving." Naruto told Fu and Gaara an hour after their arrival.

They travelled for about an hour away from the mountain and got near the place where the Six Tails' Jinhuuriki was. Naruto sensed other people with the teen. They were currently fighting with him.

 **"Uchiha… Those damned eyes. Let's rip their eyes out! Destroy all the Uchihas!"** Kurama growled.

"Wait, Uchiha? What the heck's an Uchiha – Oh. Fu! Gaara! We need to hurry!" Naruto rushed forward as his body become enveloped by red chakra, going into Tailed Beast Mode Version One, a tail appeared on his back. Fu and Gaara followed and did the same.

 **Utakata's POV**

Utakata was relaxing earlier at the topmost branch of a tree, blowing bubbles, when he suddenly felt his surroundings seem distorted. His bijuu dispelled it for him and told him someone attempted to put him under a weak genjutsu. He prepared to fight as he got surrounded by six people. He recognized them as Konoha ANBU due to their headbands. What angered him and his bijuu were their eyes. All six had their Sharingan active, three tomoes on each eye.

One of them threw a fireball at him and he had to dodge. The tree has was at earlier was now burning. He once again moved as he dodged another fireball lunged at him by another ANBU. Utakata's eyebrows twitched in annoyance as he prepared to counter attack.

 **"Bubble Clone Technique!"**

Two bubble clones materialized and stood side by side with the original.

 **"Ninja Art: Bubble Bomb!"**

Dozens of bubbles of all sizes were produced by the original and the clones and were sent flying towards the Leaf ANBU.

The ANBU scattered to avoid the bubbles as the bubbles exploded one by one, producing a popping noise that ringed their ears for a moment.

"Surrender now, six tails and be a good pet." One of the ANBU said as he glared at Utakata with his sharingan. He was about to cast a genjutsu at him before he suddenly got pounded by a strong force.

 **"Rasengan!"** The ANBU was sent away crashing to the trees. Due to the user using his tailed beast cloak, the rasengan was empowered by demonic chakra. The ANBU was killed immediately as the rasengan ravaged his body and demonic chakra entered his systems.

 **"Sabaku Kyu."** Said another voice.

One ANBU got caught by the attack and got covered by a sand coffin.

 **"Sabaku Soso."**

The ANBU screamed in terror as he got crushed into blood and gore.

 **"Drilling Bug Horn!"**

Another ANBU screamed as he got pierced from the back by a demonic horn.

Utakata and the Leaf ANBU were in shock. The newcomers suddenly came and attacked.

The six tails jinchuuriki was looking at the newcomers with a surprised look. He got more startled when the blonde addressed him.

 **"Brother, are you alright?"**

Utakata was still in shock and was unable to reply. Naruto, Gaara, and Fu formed a protective line in front of him and faced the now regrouped Leaf ANBU.

The four jinchuuriki gasped in surprise when one of the ANBU's sharingan eyes morphed into a four pointed star and killed his two remaining comrades. The ANBU with a raven's mask looked at Naruto and spoke.

"Hello, Naruto-kun. It's been a long time. I can't tell you how pleased I am to see you well. I'm not sure if you still remember me, so let me introduce myself…" The ANBU said as he removed his mask and revealed his face.

"I am Uchiha Shisui."

 **Chapter Fourteen End**

 **Author's Notes:**

1\. As you can see, Hotaru and Utakata do not know each other in this story.

2\. I would like to thank everyone who reviewed the story. I'm having problems with the reviews... although I'm getting notifications it takes me almost a week before I can see them so I could not reply to the reviews. So please don't think I'm ignoring you. If you have questions please pm me.

3\. Review, follow, and favorite to receive updates! I love you all! Happy New Year!


	15. Chapter 15: The Whirlpool Princess

**Happy New Year! Yay, my first chapter for the year 2017!**

 **Sorry about the late update. Classes have resumed so yeah. You got it. Anyway, here's chapter fifteen. Enjoy!**

 **Edited: Thanks to Djberneman and thor94 for informing me about the errors.**

 **Chapter Fifteen: The Whirlpool Princess**

"I am Uchiha Shisui."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, his stance told everyone he was prepared for a fight.

"Explain quickly. I nor Kurama-chan do not recognize you. She doesn't recognize your signature. Even if I didn't have shinobi training back then, Kurama-chan was with me and would have recognized your chakra and remembered."

The beast sealed inside Utakata gasped. **_"Kurama? I see now. That was why he addressed you as brother earlier, Utakata. I was also too shocked it did not even register in my head."_** The teen simply remained silent as he listened to the two's conversation. His three rescuers still kept their bijuu cloak active.

"I understand." Nodded Shisui. "Well, for starters, I was one of the Yondaime's personal guards. The first time I saw you was two hours after you were born. I paid a short visit to you and your mother at the hospital back in Uzushio. I gave you a raven plushie as a gift. Although I believe it has been destroyed when Fugaku kidnapped you. The second and last time I saw you was that day you were rescued and brought back to Uzushio. I participated during the raid."

"I was sent on a long term mission by the Yondaime after I visited you at the hospital. I had no idea what was happening while I was away. I just found out from local inns about Uzu's downfall and the Kyuubi's attack at Konoha. At that moment I knew there was something wrong. I abandoned my current mission and went to Whirlpool to investigate. I knew the Uzumakis were strong. Even a joint strike force from Kumo, Iwa, and Kiri would still not be enough to bring them down. I lingered there for weeks until your grandfather finally showed up. That was when I discovered about your clan's dojutsu. He had me interrogated by the Hell's Head. Back then your clan and I didn't know about Konoha having a part on the recent events. I was simply told not to tell everyone about Uzushio's current state and I was ordered to resume the mission the Yondaime-sama assigned to me. I was away for four years and reported back to Uzu instead of Konoha since I was informed that the Yondaime had been brought back to life. I remained there and entered the academy for jonins. A few months before your fifth birthday I graduated and enlisted as a STORM Operative. Two weeks after the raid I was sent back to Konoha to work as a spy. Konoha did not suspect me of anything since I had the mission files requested by Yondaime-sama and was reinstated as an ANBU."

"I see now." Naruto said as he deactivated his chakra cloak. "I do remember seeing a raven plushie in my crib while I was watching my memories."

Shisui nodded and then smirked, "If you want, I can give you a new raven plushie to replace the destroyed one."

Naruto grinned. "Thanks, but no. I prefer a fox plushie." Kurama and the others laughed at his statement.

"Alright then, I'll give you a fox plushie on your birthday."

"I'll look forward to that. Anyway, what brought you and your team here? Why were you attacking my brother?"

Shisui nodded and bowed to Utakata. "I apologize about earlier. I had to act along. I was just waiting for you to kill some of them while I kill the rest. But Naruto-kun here and his friends took care of them. Anyway," Shisui then turned to Naruto. "The Hokage and the council have gone restless. Without a jinchuuriki, they felt that Konoha was threatened. When the second to the latest bingo book was released, Danzo recognized Utakata-san as a jinchuuriki. After a lot of pressuring the Hokage finally agreed and gave the order to capture him. And now we're here."

"Okay, seriously, who are you people?" Utakata asked.

"Oh, right. Hehe, sorry. I'm Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi."

"I'm Uzumaki Fuu, Jinchuuriki of the Nanabi."

"I'm Sabaku no Gaara, Jinchuuriki of the Ichibi."

"I'm Uchiha Shisui, also known as Shisui of the Body Flicker Technique."

"Anyway, it will be too troublesome for us to explain everything. So we'll just let you have a view of our memories instead." Naruto said as he finished making seals. **"Demonic Arts: Sands of Time!"**

About forty minutes later, they finished viewing Naruto, Fuu, and Gaara's memories.

"So, yeah. Now you know about us and why we're here." Naruto finished.

"I see. Saiken-san tells me the jutsu was not a genjutsu but was real and created by demons, hence the name. I believe you and the memories you showed me. It seems that we all had the same life as jinchuuriki. We were betrayed and were made outcasts."

"But we found sanctuary in Uzushiogakure." Fuu said.

"Come with us, brother." Naruto said. "You can start a new life there."

"Yes." Gaara agreed. "No more you will be chased by hunter-nins."

Shisui decided to help the three persuade the teen and said, "You now know about Konoha after you. My team isn't the first and won't be the last to come after you. Other villages will also send teams after you so they could use you as their weapon. You've seen how Jinchuuriki are treated in Uzushiogakure. They are treated there as normal beings. Most village treat your kind as a pariah and only see you as a demon and a weapon."

 ** _"Hey, I've already made my mind while we were watching their memories. I want to be with my siblings. Although the decision is still up to you."_** Saiken told his host.

"I see your point and understand about my status. It is true that you're not the last to come after me. I'm coming with you, Naruto. I want to join Uzushio's shinobi force as well."

Naruto grinned and then tackled the teen into a hug. "That's great! That means I'll have another sibling! Haha!"

Utakata, after a long time, once again smiled. He patted the boy's head and returned the hug.

"Hey! We're your siblings too!" Fuu said as she joined the hug and also pulled Gaara. "You're joining the group hug lil bro. Hahaha!"

When they parted, they all stared at Shisui.

"So…" Naruo began. "What now?"

"Well, I can't just return there unscathed while my comrades are dead. They might get suspicious. So, how about a little spar?"

"Heh. You're on." Said Naruto, making an evil face. "Let's dance."

Shisui gulped as he saw his ancestor Madara's face into Naruto, as if he was channeling his spirit. He once again activated his Mangekyou Sharingan as he knew this will not be a normal spar.

Naruto came at him fast and without warning. Thanks to his eye, he was able to foresee his movement and was able to parry a downward slash. Naruto attempted to jab and was blocked by Shisui's left arm. Naruto kicked the Uchiha in the chest and jumped back. Shisui regained himself and this time charged at the blonde. During their fight they were on a stalemate. Naruto was using his chakra empowered taijutsu attacks to damage his opponent while Shisui was using his mangekyou to be able to read the blonde's attacks and avoid them. They were able to land hits at each other during their mixed taijutsu and kenjutsu match.

Naruto jumped back and decided to level things up. He decided to show Shisui the technique that gave him his title of Juggernaut in the bingo book. He quickly unsealed his six swords and caught them, immediately going into his Dance of Six Deaths stance.

 _"Six swords? Could this be…?"_ Shisui thought. Naruto gave him an evil smile saying, "Here I come." The boy came at him dancing with his six swords. Naruto came at Shisui spinning while also channeling chakra to his elemental swords. Shisui now had trouble dodging the boy's attacks as his eyes could no longer predict his movements. After receiving multiple cuts, he finally decided that he was no match against his kind of style. Naruto was simply a whirling instrument of death with the six different elemental chakras crackling around him.

Shisui jumped back and signaled for Naruto to stop. "Okay, I concede. You win this spar."

"Awwwww, I was having fun." Naruto pouted.

"Haha. Very funny, Naruto-kun."

They all laughed at Naruto's childish behavior while the boy made faces.

"Anyway, it was very nice to meet you all. I will be going back to report to Konoha now. You can have their bodies for investigation or something." Shisui said, indicating at the fallen Leaf ANBU.

After he left, the four jinchuurikis also headed back to Uzu after sealing the corpses. They got more acquainted with each other along the way.

 **Uzushiogakure**

They arrived at Whirpool nighttime. The three reported to the Uzukage about their mission and also deposited the Leaf ANBU's corpses for further investigation. Utakata was taken to another room for a short orientation and was later brought to the Uzukage's mansion to stay for the night.

 **Uzukage Mansion**

The three jinchuuriki entered the mansion and headed to the dining hall. Fu and Gaara were told to come for a simple celebration. Naruto's family were already there waiting for Kushina and Naruto. Sasuke, Hinata, Lee, Yakumo, Shion, and Tayuya were also present. Naruto was the last to enter since he still had to remain at the office to report about his secret mission.

As Naruto waved hi to everyone in the room, he was suddenly tackled to the ground.

"Master! You're back!"

Naruto was confused for a moment until he recognized the person who tackled him as his apprentice, Hotaru.

"Ooomphf. I missed you too, Hotaru-chan." Naruto patted the girl as he tried to stand up. Meanwhile Hotaru was enjoying pressing her face against the boy's chest.

They did not notice the Uzukage and Utakata also enter the room. Kushina was shocked to see her youngest son on the floor with a girl on top of him.

As they finally stood up, Hotaru clung to Naruto's right arm and pressed her body against it. "Master, when are we going to train together? You've been away for a while. You have to train me as soon as possible. I want to become strong like you 'ya know."

Meanwhile, Naruto's friends and family were stunned and were thinking of the same thing. _"Master? Training? Alone? Together? Master?! She called him master?!"_

Moments later Naruto's friends dropped to the floor unconscious with nosebleeds.

 _"Oh, shit. They interpreted it wrong."_ Naruto thought as he began to feel killing intent radiating from his mother and grandmother.

 _"Naruto-kun, I never thought you had it in you."_ Arashi, Minato, Kaede, and Minako thought and began to giggle perversely.

 _"What the heck?"_ Utakata, Narumi, Mio, and Miho thought.

Naruto was shaking in fright now as he felt more and more killing intent from Kushina and Tsunade.

"Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto…" Whispered Kushina sweetly. Too sweetly, making Naruto gulp in fear.

"K-k-ka-chaan, b-baa-ch-chaan, I-I can ex-p-plain. You g-got it w-wrong. It's not what y-you thi-think!" Naruto squeaked as he quickly did handseals.

 **"De-demo-monic arts: Sa-sands of t-time!"**

Everyone, including those on the floor unconscious, were pulled into Naruto's jutsu and saw the scene where Hotaru asked Naruto to be her master, finally clearing things up.

Meanwhile, Kurama was howling with laughter in her cage as her host was redder than a tomato.

 ** _"Wahahaha! Kami-sama, that was priceless! Hahaha! I've never seen you that scared before. And your face! Hahahaha!"_**

Hotaru finally caught up and understood what made everyone act up. Soon images of her and Naruto filled her mind doing some… things. Such as Naruto being the Master punishing her for being… a bad student. Hotaru also fell to the floor with an even bigger nosebleed.

Naruto just sighed and bowed his head in embarrassment. After being mercilessly teased by everyone, they finally had dinner.

 **The Next Day**

 **Konohagakure**

The Hokage was currently drinking his morning cup of coffee when an ANBU appeared in front of his desk.

"Good morning Hokage-sama. Raven returning from Secret Mission."

Sarutobi raised his eyebrows as he noticed he was alone. The young ANBU's clothes had blood stains and cuts. He noticed that Shisui was a bit winded. "Very well. Report."

"Mission was a failure Hokage-sama. We were able to track the Six Tails Jinchuuriki and battled against him. As we were about to put him under a powerful genjutsu, we were suddenly attacked by three more jinchuurikis-"

Sarutobi spat his coffee upon hearing him. "Three more jinchuurikis?"

"Hai."

"Please continue with your report."

"Hai. As we were about to subdue the target, we were attacked by three more jinchuurikis. We were able to identify one of them as the Juggernaut. We were taken by surprise and three from my team were immediately killed by them. The three of us remaining had no choice but to retreat. But as we were retreating, the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki caught up to us and we were forced to battle. He used the same kenjutsu style he used against Hoshigaki Kisame and easily defeated us. My two comrades wished for me to escape while they held him back so I could go back here and report what happened."

The Hokage rubbed his eyes while he processed the information. "Can you tell me what tailed beast the other two had or at least describe them?"

"I'm sorry, Hokage-sama. But they were all covered by their chakra cloak and all three of them only had one tail active so we could not tell them apart. We were only able to recognize the Juggernaut because of his kenjutsu style."

"I see. Go to the hospital to have your wounds treated. I'm giving you a day off."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Shisui bowed before he left in a fire shunshin.

 _"It is clear now. Either Kumo or Iwa have the Kyuubi in possession. They are the only villages known to have two jinchuurikis. Damn it. Now they also have the Rokubi."_ Sarutobi angrily thought.

 **Uzushiogakure**

 **Uzukage Office**

"Naruto-kun, I'm giving you and your team a special mission. Since The Whirlpool Princess have become famous, many movie producers have been requesting for its author to give them an audience. Of course, they do not know where to send their letters exactly so they made advertisements via flyers and radio telecast. You will be having an audience with the writer and director of Princess Fuun. Have you three seen the movie yet?"

"Hai!" Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata chorused.

"Good. That makes it better. You see, the director of this movie was a former Konoha Shinobi. He was good friends with me and your father. We fought alongside him during the Second Great Shinobi War."

"What's his name?" Asked Naruto.

"Goku."

"YOU FOUGHT ALONGSIDE A SUPER SAIYAN?! THAT'S AWESOME!" Naruto suddenly screamed, making everyone including the hidden STORM in the room sweatdrop.

 ** _"Seriously, Naruto-kun, could you be any denser?"_** Kurama asked exasperated.

Kushina tried her best not to smack her son on the head. Sometimes he still acted like a small child despite his status as an S-Rank shinobi in the bingo books.

"No, Naruto-kun." Kushina sighed. "He just happened to be named the same as him." She said, making Naruto pout in disappointment.

"Anyway, if you're fine with this, then I'm making this an official mission for your team."

"Of course! I might see the actress Yukie Fujikaze and have her autograph as well! When are we leaving?" Naruto excitedly said.

"You have an hour to pack for a three to five month duration mission. When you go to Tea Country, you will be dressed as civilian businessmen. You will not be asking Goku-san to return to shinobi service, but you will be asking him for a business partnership with Uzushiogakure instead. You reveal to him about Uzushiogakure when you think it is fine to tell him. The decision is still up to you if you wish to have your book adapted into a movie. Dismissed."

 **Wave Country (Niuzu Fourth City)**

Compared to their situation months before, Wave Country, or as the inhabitants now call it, the Fourth City, is now flourishing with life and business. Children ran the streets happily while their parents chatted with each other. People walked to their work places or the parks.

In the outer-inner circle of the city were the houses for the villagers that are mansions and villas. In the outer skirts of the city, stores and trading shops have been opened for non-inhabitants, visitors, and merchants. In the center part of the village were the high-rise buildings for research, schools, and offices for work. In the center most located was the highest and biggest tower that was a sixty-six storey building. In the top, a huge Uzumaki Flag could be seen waving freely. About twenty-one blocks away, four forty-four storey towers were built and on top of the buildings the Uzumaki Flags can be also seen, they were located in the northern, southern, western, and eastern part of the main center. On the outer most of the city were sixteen more similar towers.

The citizens of the fourth city were of course aware of the people visiting there. They knew the faces of each other and can easily recognize who are not from the city. They were aware of spies lurking around. The citizens were of course careful of what they were talking about in public. The spies who have been there for weeks still got nothing as the villagers were tight-lipped. So far the spies only knew of the city's structure.

In the Fourth City's main gate, a white haired man could be seen casually approaching.

Jiraiya looked around in amazement and wonder as his eyes roamed the buildings from the outside. What caught his attention were the towers that proudly showed the Uzumaki Flags on the top.

To the outsiders, they will only see the towers as regular buildings but for the inhabitants, they knew that the towers were strategically positioned for watching the surroundings, for protection, and for defense and offense in case of an attack. When activated, four advanced crossbows and a jutsu cannon in the middle will come out from the rooftop. These, of course, are manual and still require people to man. On the top floor down to the middle were windows for the citizens to use as sniper nests, armed with Uzushiogakure's latest crossbow inventions. The tower located in the center of the city served as the command center. Powered by seals, it has radar that can detect living and non-living objects in a mile radius. The researchers in Uzu were of course experimenting and improving their inventions so the weapons can shoot farther and stronger while the towers can gain more visual and radar.

"Halt." One of the city guards said as he approached the gate. There were twelve in total stationed outside the gate.

"State your name, status, and your purpose for visiting."

Jiraiya noticed two huge square-like carriages made of metal that had three long barrels, they were positioned near the gate. He wondered what they were for. He sensed seven people each inside them.

"Jiraiya of the Sannin, shinobi of Konoha. I am here for a simple visit. News has started to spread about Wave Country's rise to greatness after Gato's demise. I'm a bit interested about the shops here and might do some trading."

"Very well. Please sign here before you enter. When you leave, you are also required to sign. Here is a map of the city for your convenience. Here is a brochure for our buildings. In there are advertisements for the newly opened shops and centers that may interest you."

"Oooh. That's nice! Thank you." Jiraiya exclaimed as he finished signing and took the brochures. He noticed four more of the huge square metal carriages inside the gate. He checked his map and decided to check out the outer buildings first before he went to the inner city.

What the visitors did not know, the log book had a seal. In the command center, there was a similar book. Everything that was written in the log book from the gate was also recorded in the book there. As Jiraiya's name appeared, one of the front desk officers stood up and headed to one of the portals and was transported to Uzushiogakure. The Uzukage asked them to inform the main city should people from Konoha visit. A minute later the clerk returned to her post.

As Jiraiya finished checking out the shops, he decided to visit the inner most city. This time, however, he felt four chakra signatures following him. He simply shrugged it off and continued exploring the city.

 _"Hmm, it seems that this place have their own shinobi after all. I thought non-shinobi only lived here."_

 **Time Skip – One Week**

 **Tea Country**

It was five in the morning. The streets were not yet crowded but was starting to as people walked for their daily work. Three hooded figures could be seen walking towards the filmmaker Goku's studio. As they neared the building, they removed their cloaks. They appeared to be wearing expensive business suits. The one in the middle was blonde and wore aviator sunglasses. The girl beside him was clutching an envelope while the other boy beside him carried a suitcase.

"Welcome!" The building guard said as he motioned for the three to enter.

Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke walked towards the front desk.

"Good morning!" Naruto greeted the clerk.

"Good morning, sir! How may I help you?"

"I'm here on business with Mr. Goku. For his ears only."

The clerk nodded in understanding and informed the people up the studio about them. Since it was still early in the morning, the crew were just setting up and having their morning coffee.

"Yes, sir. Mr. Goku will see you now. Please follow me."

The three were amazed as they saw for the first time what a film studio looked like. A man in his early fortys greeted them.

"Good morning! How may I be of service?" Goku asked.

"Good morning, Mr. Goku. We came here for business. We would like to request for a private room. Please bring Ms. Fujikaze and her manager along."

The director then called for the two and led the five to his office. He asked his guests to sit down and offered them tea.

Naruto cleared his throat and spoke. "If you don't mind, Goku-san, I'm going to place a barrier seal so nobody could hear or sense what we are doing here inside."

The veteran shinobi narrowed his eyes and shifted into position, preparing to defend himself. Naruto noticed this and raised his hand, "You're not in trouble or anything. We're not here to arrest you or assassinate you. We came here for pure business. But you must understand that what we are going to show you is very confidential and are only meant for your eyes and ears."

Goku exhaled in relief and nodded.

 **"Uzumaki Art: Barrier Jutsu!"**

The director's eyes widened when he heard the word Uzumaki.

Naruto sat down after placing the barrier. He took a sip from his tea cup and got started.

"First of all, my name is Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto. With me are my teammates and best friends, Uzumaki-Hyuuga Hinata, and Uzumaki-Uchiha Sasuke."

 _"Uzumaki-Namikaze?!"_ Goku almost choked on his drink as the blonde introduced themselves.

Naruto held out his hand in a motion to keep the director from interrupting while he spoke.

"We came here on two purposes. One, Uzushiogakure wishes to invest their money into your film industry. The other one, I, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, the author of The Whirlpool Princess have come here to discuss about you adapting it into a movie."

More revelations. Goku was trying hard not to faint on the spot. _"Uzushiogakure? The Whirlpool Princess? He is the author…? These three are Uzumakis… and the one speaking looks a lot like Minato!"_

Meanwhile, Koyuki was blushing madly. _"He is the author of that book? And he's only the same age as I!"_

"Now that were done with the introductions, let us get on with the explanation…" Naruto said as he began weaving handseals.

 **"Demonic Arts: Sands of Time!"**

As the jutsu was called, the six people in the room were immediately pulled into a dreamscape. Like the last time back in Mount Katsuragi, Naruto showed them about the past. Konoha's betrayal, the attack on Uzushio, Naruto's kidnapping, his life in Konoha, and his life when he was brought back to his homeland. They watched the memories up to the point where they arrived at Goku's studio.

The three chunins sat in silence as they waited for Goku, Yuki, and Sandayu to absorb everything they just watched.

"So… Uzushiogakure's still standing strong… Kushina and Minato are alive… And you really are the author of today's number one selling book!" Goku exclaimed happily as he began shedding tears.

"You look so much like your father… Oh, Kami-sama, my former village really has fallen. Naruto-kun, forgive me, if I had known, I would have remained in Konoha to look for you." The director said sadly.

"You do not need to apologize, Goku-san, nobody knew what was actually happening that time except Konoha's council and higher ups. Let us look into the bright side now."

"Right." Goku said as he relaxed in his seat and finished his tea.

The young actress and her manager remained silent as they were deep in thought.

 _"He… He's endured so much. And yet he's here now at his current level. His heart and mind are so strong… He is admired by the people around him... And he used his own story as inspiration for his book!"_ The princess thought.

 _"What if… What if these are the people that could help Koyuki-chan overthrow her uncle and reclaim the Land of Snow?"_ Sandayu thought.

After a long silence, the young actress finally spoke.

"Naruto-sama."

"No, just Naruto would be fine."

"R-right. Naruto-kun…" Koyuki stuttered.

 ** _"Damn it, Naruto-kun. Don't you think your fan club's already big?"_** Kurama thought to herself.

"Anyway, I have something to tell you. Goku-san already knows about this… The name Fujikaze Yuki is only a name I used for my own protection… I am in hiding from people who wishes to kill me and claim a key that I currently possess. My real name is Kazahana Yuki."

Naruto widened his eyes as he recognized the girl. "You're the missing princess!"

"H-how did you know?" Sandayu asked. "Only the people from our land knew about her identity."

"As the son of the Uzukage, there are times when I attended and listened to the council meetings. My mother and the council were actually looking for Yuki no Kuni's missing princess and wishes to offer the country's services to eliminate Doto and give you back the throne. Ever since I turned five, Uzushiogakure have been looking for you. But since we had no idea how you looked like, it was hard to get some leads." Naruto explained. Sasuke and Hinata remained silent and kept their surprise to themselves. They had no clue what Naruto and the actress were talking about.

"I see." Sandayu nodded.

"So… You're going to help us?" The young princess asked hopefully.

"Excuse us, but can someone please explain what's going on?" Sasuke asked, a bit annoyed. Hinata nodded in agreement as she too was confused.

"Right. Sorry about that. Anyway, my real name is Kazahana Koyuki. I am the daughter of the late Snow Daimyo, Kazahana Sosetsu. When I was three, my uncle, Doto, murdered my father and took over the country. I, along with Sandayu and a few guards, managed to escape the country while my father's loyal followers remained to cover our escape. For years we had to travel constantly as my personal guards got killed one by one until Sandayu and I were the only ones left alive. When we arrived here, we were found by Goku-san and put us under his protection. Having travelled to a lot of places before, he recognized me and helped my hide from my pursuers. My uncle wanted to hunt me because I held the crystal that was the key for the Yuki no Kuni's treasure. Sandayu and I decided to stay with Goku-san while I worked as an actress. The money I earn will be used to hire an army to help me reclaim what is rightfully mine and kill my uncle."

"Hmmm, it seems that our simple mission has turned into an S-Rank." Sasuke smirked, making Hinata smirk as well. Naruto had a creepy look on his face.

"So you're going to help us?" Sandayu asked.

"Of course." Replied Naruto.

The princess threw herself on top of Naruto and sobbed on his chest while hugging him tightly. "Thank you, thank you, and thank you!"

 ** _"Yup. She's definitely one of them…"_** Kurama mumbled to herself.

Naruto returned the hug and patted the girl. After a few minutes, everyone was seated properly again.

"I'm going to send a letter to my mother and inform her about you. For now, we talk about what we came here for." Naruto said.

"Goku-san, Uzushiogakure wants to get involved with the movie industry. The country wants a partnership with your company. Should you agree, we will give you one billion yen as investment."

Goku, Koyuki, and Sandayu's eyes bulged as they heard the amount. _"One billion?"_ The director nearly fainted. No, he did actually fell to the floor three seconds later.

After he regained consciousness, he went back to his seat. The three chunins were looking at him in amusement.

"One billion, you say?" He asked.

"Yes. Should you agree to the partnership, Uzushiogakure will receive thirty percent of the company's income. We will start receiving the share a year after the agreement."

Hinata then laid down her envelope on the table and opened it. She took out some papers and gave them to the director to read.

After signing the papers, Hinata took the papers back and gave Goku his copy of the contract. Finished with the deal, Sasuke laid out the suitcase he was carrying and revealed its contents to the director.

"Here's your one billion yen." Sasuke said.

After counting the money, Goku nodded and closed the suitcase.

"Right. Onto the next matter… I have agreed about your desire to adapt my book into a movie. I have already signed the papers and the contract, so you'll just have to sign it. Instead of sharing it to Uzushio's bank, I will be receiving thirty percent of the movie's earnings. While filming, I will be present to assist with the making. I will be personally choosing who's going to play as the main character… And my choice of course, is Koyuki-hime."

The actress blushed at the way Naruto addressed her affectionately. Sandayu smiled to himself as he watched the princess' face turn redder than a tomato.

Hinata, although used with Naruto's charms, still blushed red as she handed Goku and Koyuki the contracts.

After signing the contract, Hinata took the signed papers and gave Goku and Koyuki copies of the contract.

"Now, Goku-san, you are almost finished filming Princess Fuun, right? Would you mind if we stayed to watch the filming of the remaining scenes?" Asked Naruto.

"Of course not. My company and Uzushiogakure are business partners now. We have three remaining scenes to be filmed here in Tea Country. After that, we will film on a snowy area for the final part of the movie."

"That just sounds great. I suggest you do the filming in the Land of Snow. We will sail for Yuki ten days for now."

"What do you have in mind? You know that Yuki-chan's not welcome there at the moment."

"It's going to be a party." Naruto said, smirking evilly and scaring everyone. He looked at the princess and said. "Koyuki-chan, I suggest you begin writing your speech. Three weeks from now, you're going to face Yuki no Kuni's people as its daimyo."

 **Konohagakure**

 **Konoha Council**

Hiruzen, Danzo, Jiraiya, Koharu, Homura, and the shinobi clan heads were currently gathered to discuss about the latest events.

"I would like to thank everyone for coming here on short notice. Jiraiya here has news that concerns our village and all other villages." Said the Hokage. "Jiraiya, please tell us your report."

The white haired sannin nodded and began speaking. "As we all know, Gato, one of the richest person in the Elemental Nations, have been mysteriously killed. Everything related to him and his businesses have vanished, or destroyed. I have managed to track his last whereabouts and that lead me to Wave Country. Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto was also last seen in Wave Country chasing a fleeing Hoshigaki Kisame. After a lot of investigation, I found out that Gato was the one responsible for the Wave Daimyo's death. Gato took over Wave Country and leeched its riches. Under his rule, the country became poor. The man had an army of mercenaries serving him. Including them were Kirigakure's Seven Swordsmen and Taki's S-Class Missing-nin Kakuzu.

After some more investigation, I found out that the Seven Swordsmen except Kisame were murdered. A few days after Gato's death, Wave Country started to rebuild. I visited the reconstructed city last week, and from what I have seen, the buildings are all high-class. The city consisted of high-rise buildings and huge houses! To think that it had been only less than six months, they have managed to get back on their feet that fast!"

"Impossible!" Interrupted Inuzuka Tsume. "That would have required a lot of money and resources! Even if the people of Wave were good at construction, a half-year would not be enough. The buildings you are talking about is not possible. Sure, the country might have resources, but from how you describe it, it would have required a lot more!"

"I wasn't done talking!" Jiraiya shouted, annoyed that he was interrupted. "Anyway, you're correct. Wave would require more manpower and more resources in order to reconstruct their ruined village into a prosperous city."

"So you're saying…"

"Wave had help, yes."

"But from who?" Asked the Hokage.

"The Uzumaki Clan."

Gasps filled the whole room. Sarutobi, Danzo, and Fugaku fidgeted on their seats.

"But I thought they were all killed during the three village's attack?" Asked Hiashi.

"That's what we all thought as well. But when I visited Wave, the Uzumaki Clan's flags were everywhere. I'm not sure about their numbers though… I estimate around thirty to fifty."

"That's good news then." Said Uchiha Fugaku. "We can ask for an alliance with them once again."

"I doubt they will accept it." Jiraiya said.

"Why?"

"Remember the kid this village used to torment?"

"The Demon Brat?"

"That's Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto to you."

More gasps.

"Now, now, there's no need to be shocked. You already knew about the boy's heritage. Anyway, I strongly believe that the Uzumakis now know about his treatment while he was here."

"How?"

"Naruto is probably a shinobi of the new Wave Country."

Before everyone could react, there was a loud banging on the door.

"Open the door for the Fire Daimyo!" A voice shouted opposite the door.

Everyone in the meeting room were startled and got nervous. They got a surprise visit from the Daimyo!

Sarutobi fussed on his robes and quickly stood up to open the door. The others also stood up to welcome the firelord.

As soon as the door opened, four red samurais entered the room and inspected the area for potential danger. Seeing none, they motioned for the other samurais outside to come in. Two samurais entered followed by the Fire Daimyo. Six more entered the room after their master. The room was a bit crowded now. Sarutobi motioned for the daimyo to take the middle seat. As soon as he was seated, he procured his fan and cooled himself.

The hokage cleared his throat and spoke. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, Daimyo-sama?"

"I won't be here for long. I just came here to tell you that earlier this morning, I and the other daimyos of other countries had been gathered by Wave's new daimyo for a meeting. He told us that their country now officially have their own ninja village. And is being run by a forgotten clan. As of now, Wave Country is no longer called Wave Country. It is now Uzushiogakure, or The Village Hidden among Whirlpools."

 **Chapter Fifteen End**

 **Author's Notes.**

 **1\. AAAAAAAAAAAAAALRIGHT! IT IS OFFICIAL! THE UZUMAKIS ARE BACK!**

 **2\. If you guys were wondering about Naruto's evil face, look up "Madara Rape Face"**

 **3\. Next chapter will be Uzushiogakure operating now in the open. Sound Village and Third City (Former Amegakure) will also be officially announced to the world as new villages.**

 **4.** **About Wave, Wave is an extension of Uzushiogakure. All Uzushio citizens-civilian and shinobi, know this. Wave has been reconstructed and expanded into a city from a small village. For the people (outsiders like Konoha), they will see it as the new Uzushiogakure Main City. Since the whole world thinks the original Uzushio has been destroyed.**

 **5\. Review, Follow, and Favorite to receive updates. See you guys next chapter!**


	16. Chapter 16: The Land of Spring

**JRL: Yo! I'm back! I'm alive! I'm not dead yet! Hahaha! Sorry for the long wait. The Midterm Examinations are coming and I had to stay at school longer.**

 **JRL: To Mikey (Guest): I really like that idea. Thanks for that!**

 **To all reviewers, thank you as well! If you have any suggestions, comments, corrections, or other stuff to say, please feel free to review! :D**

 **IMPORTANT!**

 **IMPORTANT!**

 **IMPORTANT!**

 **To avoid confusion, please read...**

 **1\. To the people of Uzushiogakure's POV:**

 **-** Uzushiogakure - Main City - Leader: Kushina

\- Niuzushiogakure - First City (Former Oni no Kuni) - Leader: Narumi

\- Second City (Former Numa no Kuni) - Leader: Minako

\- Third City (Former Ame no Kuni) - Leader: Nagato

\- Fourth City (Former Nami no Kuni) - Temporary Leader: Tazuna

 **2\. To non-Uzu people's POV**

\- Uzushiogakure - combination of Third and Fourth City; Daimyo: Tazuna ; Uzukage: "Pein"

\- Third City (Former Ame no Kuni) - inhabited by shinobis

\- Fourth City (Former Nami no Kuni) - inhabited by civilians

 **3\. Uzushiogakure is sort of like the USA. It has many states with New York being the main city or capital. Uzushiogakure has five. The main city is the one attacked by the Kuno-Iwa-Kiri Alliance.**

 **Hope that clears things up. Now, on with the story! :D**

 **Wait... Here's an early author's note:**

 **1\. When you get to the part where Naruto makes a speech (I'm not telling which one in order not to spoil you guys. You'll just know it when you read it), play the song or imagine hearing the song in your head, the theme - Girei (Courtesy) - Akatsuki Pein's theme, for added effect. Feel the chills. That's all. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter Sixteen: The Land of Spring**

 _"So it is official then. They're back."_ Sarutobi thought.

 _"I wonder… Do they know about Konoha's betrayal? If not, there is a chance for Konoha to ally itself with the Uzumakis once again."_ Thought Danzo.

 _"No. They're supposed to be dead."_ Fugaku thought angrily. _"The Uchiha Clan shall be the last clan standing! We have successfully wiped out the Senjuu. I'm going to do everything I can to completely wipe out the Uzumakis!"_

 _"Troublesome… More meetings will sure come after this."_ Nara Shikaku thought.

The Fire Daimyo merely watched the Leaf Council sit in silence as they absorbed the latest news.

"There's more to that. It was not only the Wave Daimyo who came to the meeting but the Rice Daimyo and Leader of the village we used to know as Amegakure as well."

"There's another?" Asked the Hokage.

"Yes. The Rice Daimyo have informed us that they also now have their own shinobi village, which is called Otogakure. Their country will be now called The Land of Sound instead the Land of Rice."

"Who's their leader?" Asked Homura.

"The Snake Sannin, Orochimaru."

More gasps.

"He's the Otokage now. His past crime for being a missing-nin will be now forgiven. Any form of threat against him or the Land of Sound will be considered an act of war."

"Hmpf. Even if that happens, they will easily lose since they have just constructed." Scoffed Koharu.

"That, my dear elder, is where you are wrong. The Land of Sound have been established six years ago, and finally chose to make itself known this morning."

Danzo then chose to ask something he had been wondering about since earlier. "Daimyo-sama, if you'll excuse me, what was that you were talking about Amegakure?"

"Aah, yes. That. Thank you for asking. I almost forgot about that. Hehe. Anyway, The Land of Rain as we know it is no longer called by that name. It is now a part of Uzushiogakure."

A lot more gasps.

"The current Uzukage is an Uzumaki survivor who goes by the name 'Pein'. Almost six years ago, he along with his followers managed to win the civil war."

"Civil war?"

"Ahh, yes. You do not know about the civil war. Amegakure have closed itself from the outside world and kept things to itself, keeping outsiders away. The security was very high that time. As I was saying, the country was torn apart by a civil war. One side was Hanzo the Salamander's while the other one was Pein's. After gaining the support of majority of the village, Pein finally decided to end the tyranny rule once and for all. He easily defeated Hanzo on a one on one battle in front of everyone. After that, Amegakure strengthened its barriers to keep the outside world unaware of what was happening inside. The village rebuilt itself from being a wasteland. The same year Otogakure was founded, the civil war in Ame ended.

During the meeting this morning, the Uzukage have made its appearance. He along with the Wave Daimyo, or as we call him now, the Whirlpool Daimyo, explained to us why there were two Uzushiogakures. The one that was the former Amegakure is still a closed city. They explained that that is where they train their shinobis and where other military related subjects were. The other Uzushiogakure which is located in Wave, is where we find most of its civilians. There will be a number of shinobis stationed there but most of them are in Ame.

Now, to remove the confusion, they told us to simply call the former Amegakure Uzushiogakure's Third City while the former Wave be called Uzushiogakure's Fourth City. Why Third and Fourth? They say the First City was built and was abandoned before the First Shinobi War. The Second City was the one destroyed during the Kumo-Iwa-Kiri Alliance's attack.

You might be wondering why they are separated… The reason is to keep the civilians away from harm in case of war. The Wave Daimyo told us that should any form of threat befall upon the Fourth City, the Third City will throw everything against those responsible. Before anything foolish come into your heads, I must warn you not to do anything against Uzushiogakure.

Now that I believe I have told you everything, I will take my leave."

After the Daimyo left, Danzo, Hiruzen, Jiraiya, and Fugaku shared looks, silently scheduling for a secret meeting.

 **Time Skip – Three Days Later**

 **Uzushiogakure**

 **Uzushiogakure Shorelines**

This year's graduates along with the other chuunins, jounins, and STORM were currently waiting for their leader to address them. Three days ago, Naruto informed the Uzukage about their team finally having found Yuki no Kuni's missing princess. A council meeting had been called immediately. After the meeting, the squad that was deployed in Snow have been informed of what was going to happen.

For the past two days, capable personnel from the Main City up to the Fourth City have been handpicked and amassed. Right now, there were twenty-one thousand shinobis gathered at the shorelines composed of chuunins, jounins, and STORM. About thirty warships were docked composed of cruisers, heavy carriers, long range battle ships, and one command ship, all waiting for deployment. Those who will be operating the ships and the tanks aren't counted.

The Uzukage stood on a watchtower, her voice amplified by the surrounding radio towers.

"For the past twelve years Uzushiogakure have kept silent and hidden from the world. We have trained in extremes to become much stronger and performed research for advanced weaponries and machineries. As of now we are the only nation with advanced warships made of metal. Others own ships that are only made of wood. Our buildings' designs are superb and high class, and are very strong. We have trained to become stronger than ever. And now we finally reemerge from laying low.

We have foreseen the great benefits we will acquire if we made an alliance with Snow. And so, for the past eight years we have been looking for the Snow Country's missing princess. After the long years of searching, we finally found her. And now we will help her overthrow her uncle and destroy his mercenary army. This will be the first test of our military power and research. Now that we are officially back, Doto of Snow Country and his followers will be the first to taste our power." The Uzukage said.

Kushina then motioned for Narumi, Minako, Mio, and Miho.

"My children will be leading you for this battle. You will sail today for Snow Country and make contact with the squad sent there ahead and the rebels. Once the princess reaches the country, Uzushio will strike."

"Make our village proud. Let the world know of our power once again! Rise, Uzushiogakure! TO BATTLE!"

"TO BATTLE!" The army roared as they marched and went on board on their assigned ships.

Naruto's classmates, with the exception of the Sand Siblings and the Sound Four, boarded another ship that will serve as the princess' ship. They will be sailing for Tea Country while the fleet headed for Snow.

Soon the shorelines were filled with the sounds of warships being powered to life, releasing steam. The command ship blew out a long and deep blast, indicating for the fleet to move out.

 **Tea Country**

"And cut!"

"Well done! Two more scenes left!" Goku clapped happily.

Naruto and his teammates sat as they watched the filming. He telepathically informed Sasuke and Hinata that a ship from Uzu was currently sailing for Tea Country while a fleet is headed for Snow.

As the crew began packing off, Goku, Yuki, and Sandayu walked towards the three.

"I just got news from Uzu. Our transport ship is now sailing towards here. It will arrive in two to three days. After filming the final scene for this place, we will immediately sail for the Land of Snow."

"Understood." Replied Goku. "I'll go inform my crew. We will be filming a few scenes while sailing."

 **Uzushiogakure**

 **Uzukage Office**

"Uzukage-sama, Minato-sama, Sai along with Foo and Torune are here."

"Please let them in."

"Hai."

While Danzo was still in a coma, Minato and Kushina personally removed every ROOT ANBU's seal. Majority of them were thankful and swore new allegiance to Uzushio while a small number of them remained loyal to Konoha even though they were aware that they had been used. The Konoha loyalists were immediately executed by Minato himself. Right now, Sai was the second in command of ROOT, appointed by both Minato and Danzo. Danzo have no idea of his followers' change of allegiance and believes he still have ROOT under his control. Ironically, it was now Minato who leads his organization.

"Kushina-sama, Minato-sama." Sai said as he and his teammates kneeled. "Danzo have ordered ROOT to expand and increase the patrolled areas. Some members have been ordered to investigate Fourth City. Higher ranking members including my team were assigned to infiltrate the Third City and Otogakure. The Hokage have ordered Jiraiya to take over Gato's remaining assets and add them to his spy network. ANBU were also tasked to double and expand their patrols. Bandit camps inside the Fire Border were to be eliminated. The Hokage have decreased the missions being received in order to keep most of Konoha's forces intact when the Chuunin Exam begins."

Minato nodded and addressed the pale teen. "Sai, quickly send a lower ranking member to blend in with Gato's remaining followers. This will be a good opportunity for us to infiltrate Jiraiya's spy network. Those ordered to infiltrate Oto and Third City, inform them to remain outside. Konoha's not the only one that will be sending spies."

"I will be informing Nagato and Orochimaru about this. I'm not sure about the Otokage, but the Third City will be publicly executing those who will be caught infiltrating." Said Kushina.

"Go now. Inform everyone about your orders."

"Hai!"

 **Time Skip – Two Weeks**

 **Fifty Kilometers away from the Land of Snow**

The fleet was on stand-by as they waited for Koyuki's ship to arrive. While they waited, a dozen squads have been sent in land in order to secretly evacuate all civilians to safety. While at it, they also assassinated about two hundred of Doto's soldiers and took their chakra armors. There were a hundred samurai who were loyal to Sosetsu. They were given the chakra armors for their own added protection when the battle commences. Since they had no shinobi training, it will be great for their defense if they wore the chakra armors.

The fleet was currently hidden behind an island covered by mountains. As Naruto's ship joined the fleet, everyone got ready. Koyuki and Sandayu were given advanced chakra armors that were taken from two enemy lieutenants. The filming crew were also given chakra armors. Goku have requested the battle to be filmed as well, which is why they will be wearing the armors.

Everyone paid attention when Narumi's voice was heard on all ships' speakers.

"This is your general speaking. We are now sailing towards the shorelines. Infantry, get ready for rapid deployment. Pilots, power up those ships and begin take-off. Tankers, get in your vehicles. Expect immediate battle once we land. Everyone move to your assigned stations!"

As the fleet began to move towards Snow Country's shorelines, a dozen airship took off from the heavy carriers. The airships were almost as big as the cruisers. It also had a dozen cannons on each side. The Uzumaki Clan's symbol can be easily seen since it was painted on all four sides of the ship.

 **Command Ship**

"Fleet twenty kilometers from land!" The captain of the command ship shouted.

"Load the cannons!" Narumi ordered through the intercom.

"Ten kilometers from land!"

"COMMENCE BOMBARDMENT!"

 **Doto's Castle**

Ever since he took position as Snow Country's leader, he began leeching off its resources. Doto grew paranoid and used the country's money to recruit more people for his army. His mercenary army was now thirty thousand strong. Everyone wore chakra armors. The three generals – Nadare, Fubuki, and Mizore, and their lieutenants wore advanced chakra armors. Doto himself wore the latest and the most advanced chakra armor. He planned on eventually taking over the Elemental Nations once his army was huge enough.

Doto was currently sitting at his throne as he listened to his generals' reports.

"My lord, one of my lieutenants have been missing for the past three days along with around fifty men." Said Mizore.

Fubuki reported the same thing. She too was missing the same number of personnel.

"I have about a hundred men missing as well." Said Nadare.

Just then, a lieutenant burst inside the main hall and ran towards the man on the throne.

"My lord! A fleet has been spotted about forty kilometers from the shorelines! And it's approaching fast!"

Before anybody could react, there was a huge explosion that shook the castle, followed by another one. And another one. And then another one. The bombardment was continuous.

Another lieutenant burst inside screaming his head off. "My lord! We're under attack!"

Nadare, annoyed, shouted. "We're aware of that! Give us a status report you fool!"

"Enemy troops have invaded the shorelines and are advancing towards the castle! Our forces have engaged them to battle, but more enemies are coming off their ships!"

"Do they have a flag?" Asked Doto.

"Yes, my lord. Theirs was a swirl of a whirlpool."

 _"Whirlpool? The Uzumaki Clan represented that symbol. Aside from them, I don't know any group that have a swirl in their flag. But the Uzumaki Clan's supposed to be extinct."_ Doto and his generals thought.

"Fubuki, Mizore. Mobilize your divisions. Prepare for counterattack and engage the enemy. Nadare, station your division by the castle. Form a perimeter. Man the cannons. Position at the towers. Nadare, take half of Mizore's troops with you and add them with the defense." Doto ordered.

"Hai!"

 **Main Army's POV**

First Division was led by Minako. He led ten thousand of the army. Their task was to engage and eliminate the enemy's initial engaging forces. The other ten thousand, which will be the Second Division, will be waiting as reserve, led my Narumi.

As the Uzu shinobi jumped off the ships, they immediately formed into columns after killing the small defending force. They began charging towards the city and was met by five thousand mercenaries led by Mizore. The first division threw out three waves of chakra enforced kunais with explosive tags.

Mizore's troops were in disarray as they got bombarded by cannons and now kunais with explosive tags. Even though they wore chakra armor, they still got affected by the attack and lost numbers. His forces began to regroup and merged with Fubuki's division that just arrived.

"Show them the power of Uzushiogakure! Destroy them all!" Minako shouted.

The first division gave out a battle cry and clashed with Fubuki and Mizore's combined forces. The battle plan was simple. STORM Operatives will subtly activate their Rinnegan and use the Petra Path to absorb all jutsus that will be thrown at them by the enemy, while the rest of the attacking forces overwhelm the enemy with heavy jutsus.

Through studying the chakra armors Uzushio was able to acquire years ago, they were able to learn of its weaknesses. The chakra armors had a limit in absorbing incoming attacks and will eventually become a normal clothing. The main weakness was the dish plates in the chest area. If critically hit, the dish plate will malfunction and kill the wearer through electrocution.

As the two sides clashed, the Second Division led by Narumi disembarked from the ships and formed into columns. While the enemies busily fought off the First Division, the Second Division moved in for a pincer attack. Narumi began weaving hand seals as she joined her brother.

Narumi engaged Fubuki while Minako fought with Mizore.

 **Air Force POV**

Mio led the air force. With her were five hundred shinobi. The twelve airships easily flew past the country's forests while the armies clashed below.

"Enemy camps are in range." The captain said.

"Good. Bomb the camps and the defensive towers. Destroy their cannons and other defensive systems. Avoid hitting the mountains and the mountainside."

"Hai."

 **Tank Force POV**

While the air force swept the camps, Miho led two dozen tanks plus the remaining five hundred shinobi and entered through the country's emergency tunnels. The tunnels led them straight to the mountainside that were two kilometers near the enemy camps. As the tanks came out of the tunnels, they rolled in and began firing at the site.

 **Doto's POV**

Doto was at the balcony of the castle while Nadare's division set a perimeter around it.

A lieutenant bowed to him and gave the latest status report.

"My lord. Mizore-sama and Fubuki-sama's forces are currently engaged with the enemy's main army. Their forces have already suffered heavy losses while the enemy kept pushing on. A dozen airships have flown past our walls and began bombing the camps. Two dozen huge carriages with cannons came from the mountainside tunnels and swept in the camp, firing waves after waves of explosives and destructive jutsus, annihilating the survivors. Our defensive structures along with the cannons have been destroyed due to heavy bombardment."

As he finished his report, he noticed his master glaring at the sky. Everybody looked up and saw twelve huge airships.

 _"That's definitely the Uzumaki Clan's flag."_ Doto thought as he recognized Whirlpool's symbol.

The army watched in terror as the ships' cannons fired destructive jutsus. The ships hit the towers that were below them.

"They're aiming for our defensive systems!"

"DEFENSIVE BARRIERS! NOW!" Shouted Nadare.

Layers of huge and tall ice domes began to form and protected the castle along with the army inside. They waited in bated breath as they held their defensive barrier. They were surprised when they felt the onslaught against them stop. One brave mercenary went outside the dome to check and was surprised to see the enemy airships flying past their location.

 **Air Foce POV**

"Heh. Idiots. Now you have no idea what's going to happen next." Mio muttered as she watched the army below conjure ice domes.

"Alright. Time to drop below while they are blind." Mio ordered through the intercom.

Hundreds of paratroopers jumped off the airships and regrouped with the Tank Force that were waiting below, hidden in the forests.

 **The Twins' POV**

Mio's forces merged with her twin brother's forces and concealed themselves.

"How are things going?" Miho inquired.

"Nee-chan and Nii-san's forces are easily destroying the engaging enemy's forces. The enemy did not expect a pincer move. They should be here soon." Replied Mio.

"The only defense they have left are the ones by the castle. That's no more than ten towers. The tanks can easily destroy them later." Miho said.

 _"Yo!"_ A voice called through their mental link.

 _"Naruto-kun?"_

 _"Hell yeah! We're almost finished here. There's only about five hundred – **RASENGAN!** – now four hundred and ninety-nine left here. Narumi-nee and Minako-nii are whooping the enemy generals' butts! – Ha! Take this, **Molotov Rasengan!** – See you guys later!" _He said as a huge explosion were heard in the background. Outside the twins' mental link, the explosion of Naruto's fire jutsu could be seen as the fire blew up the forests and killed about fifty enemies.

 **Air Force POV**

"Amazing! This is going to be a hit! We'll be the first company to ever produce a movie taken from an actual war! Wohoo!" Cheered by one of the filming crew as their ship flew past the castle and cut the scene.

 **Tank Force POV**

"Yes! Director's going to love this!"

 **Main Army POV**

"Ha! I can't believe I'm filming a movie while I'm in it!" Screamed Goku in delight as he dodged an enemy samurai.

 **"Katon: Gokakyou no Jutsu!"**

"I still got it! Wahahaha!" The director cheered with glee.

 **Narumi's POV**

"You guys have depended so much on your armors that you have gotten weak." Narumi told Fubuki.

"Aaargh! Damn you! **Ice Release: Ice Needle Blizzard!** " Fubuki replied with rage.

Narumi calmly released a fire dragon from her mouth. The fire dragon easily melted the ice needles and struck Fubuki right in the chest plate of her armor.

The two have been fighting for a very long time now. At least to Fubuki, she was fighting. Narumi was merely toying with her opponent while the Uzumaki army destroyed Doto's army. Fubuki was getting more and more frustrated as her division got slaughtered. Whenever she made an attempt to help, Narumi would simply block her path. Whatever jutsu she tried to throw at the female Uzumaki, Narumi would simply absorb it.

"I'm done playing with you." Narumi said as she held out her arms. Golden chains from her back came out and immediately restrained Fubuki. The chains destroyed the chakra armor while keeping the wearer alive.

Fubuki watched helplessly as her once ten thousand soldiers decreased to a hundred. She gasped in horror as her opponent walked towards her, her red hair flowing like wild fire, the same way the dreaded Red Death's hair did when she slaughtered the Kumo Army during the war.

 **Minako POV**

"Argh! Stupid fat guy and his stupid snowboard." Minako muttered as Mizore sled past him with his mechanical snowboard.

To Mizore, he was winning as he simply fired missiles after missiles from his chakra armor while he sped around his opponent. To Minako, he was simply letting his opponent think he was losing. What Mizore failed to notice was his army of five thousand being reduced to a hundred by the Uzumaki Army.

 _"I guess it's time…"_ Minako thought as he took out a dozen three-pronged kunai and threw them in all directions.

 **"Ninpou: Kunai Kage Bunshin no Jutsu"**

 **Main Army POV**

For a whole minute, there were flashes of yellow around the battlefield. It would appear at random locations leaving a trail of dead bodies.

"Hey!" A voice shouted as Minako hiraishined in front of Mizore and slapped a seal on his armor, disabling it. "That was my kill! You took it!"

Minako chuckled sheepishly as he remembered about Naruto and his classmates' contest of who kills the most.

"Sorry, Naruto-kun." The brother shouted back. "You guys can kill the others stationed at the castle. There are still ten thousand mercenaries reserved as last defense."

As Minako flashed everywhere and killed the remaining enemies, the attacking forces regrouped and formed once again into columns.

Narumi dragged a restrained Fubuki and set her on a kneeling position. Minako did the same with his opponent, dragging Mizore and setting him on a kneeling position beside Fubuki.

Fubuki and Mizore looked around and inspected the battlefield. Thousands of corpses littered the place but not a single corpse from the invading forces could be found.

"What are you guys? You're supposed to be dead when those three villages attacked you! How come you're all alive! You destroyed my army! Arghh!" Fubuki half screamed, half asked Narumi and Minako.

 **Doto and his army POV**

"Doto-sama! Grave news! Fubuki-sama and Mizore-sama's forces have been annihilated! The enemy army are marching towards the castle as of this moment!"

"How could this happen?!" Doto exclaimed angrily.

"What of Fubuki and Mizore? What happened to them?" Nadare asked the scout.

Before the scout could respond to their questions, Nadare's soldiers began to shout.

"Enemy fire! Take cover!"

"Prepare to create domes!"

"No! We'll only blind ourselves!"

"Counter it with jutsus! Fire at it!"

 **"Ice Release: Ice Dragon Missiles!"** The army shouted as one to deflect the rain of kunai, shuriken, and senbon.

The projectiles fell harmlessly to the ground as the ice missiles collided with it.

Nadare began weaving handseals as he jumped off the balcony and charged towards the invading army, creating hundreds of ice wolves beside him.

 _"Fubuki-chan, I will avenge you!"_

The mercenary army watched as their general charged at the enemy. Those in the front lines followed after him.

"What are you waiting for? The enemy army is here! Charge!" Doto shouted.

His mercenary army gave a battle cry as they charged to meet the invading force. Doto removed his fur cloak to reveal his highly advanced chakra armor. He too began weaving handseals as he jumped off the balcony and charged at the enemy.

 **Invading Forces POV**

"Someone's eager to die." Naruto commented as he watched Nadare's incoming form.

"Here they come." Sasuke muttered as he saw the army behind Nadare.

"TANKERS, GO GET THE TOWERS!" Minako shouted.

"INFANTRY, CHARGE!" Ordered Narumi.

"Ha! Finally!" Mio and Miho both said as the army behind them gave a battle cry.

 **Normal POV**

The Uzumaki Army waited for Doto's Army to approach. Nadare and his ice wolves were the first to reach the enemy lines and tried tearing through them. However, he was repelled by a strong ice jutsu from Miho and was sent flying to the army behind him. The twins quickly charged after Nadare and engaged him to a battle.

As the enemy got closer, the tanks moved forward and began firing at the incoming army. The tanks weaved through the downed opponents and ran them over. Still moving forward, the tanks approached the enemy towers and obliterated them.

Doto's Army was in a disarray but immediately regrouped as they felt Doto's presence. Doto Kazahana smirked and began weaving hand seals and produced black ice dragons, aiming at his opponents. His confident smirk faded as he finally noticed the leaders of the enemy army.

 _"Kushina? Minato? No, they're dead!"_

The usurper gathered chakra and tried disrupting his chakra flow.

 **"Kai! Kai! KAI!"**

 _"What is this? This armor's supposed to make me immune to genjutsu!"_

He was too consumed by his current dilemma and was only broken out from his thoughts when a fist connected to his face and sent him flying upwards.

Doto was able to make out the image of his attacker as he glanced down before crashing. His opponent was a striking image of the Yondaime Hokage but was shorter and younger.

 _"Hmmm. So this is their son… So they're real after all. They're not dead."_

"Focus, you old bastard!"

Doto glared at the Minato replica for calling him an old bastard.

"I, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, will be your opponent." Proclaimed the boy.

"Hah! Don't be such a fool! You're just a little brat-!"

The old man stopped in mid-sentence as he dodged a roundhouse kick from the boy. Naruto did not stop at this but pushed on the offense. He kept on attacking for a whole five minutes. During their taijutsu match, both were able to land hits against each other. Thanks to his chakra armor, Doto was able to keep up against the little brat. The little brat, however, had a lot of tricks hidden from his sleeve.

Naruto disengaged and quickly formed a single one handed seal and released his gravity seals.

Everyone in the battlefield felt a strong gust of wind and quickly found its source.

 _"Damn. Naruto-kun/senpai/sama's serious. Doto's up for a brutal beating."_ The Uzumaki Army thought as they returned focus to their own respective battles.

One of the things Naruto hated the most were traitors. Especially those who betray their own family.

"I'm going to beat the living shit out of you."

Naruto stated as he vanished and instantly reappeared in front of Doto. Kicking him in the stomach and sending him twenty meters high upwards. Up in the air Naruto quickly reappeared beside Doto and kneed him sending the old man flying to the right downwards. Seven meters before he crashed to the ground, Naruto appeared once again and hit him with an uppercut, sending him to the left upwards. Up in the air Naruto once again reappeared below him and elbowed him, sending him higher to the air vertically. As Doto flew up forty meters high, he was met by three Narutos that were sixty meters high in the sky. The two Narutos on the side threw the middle Naruto downwards the incoming Doto, hitting him with an enhanced axe kick.

Doto plummeted down with a huge crash, the spot where he landed forming a huge crater.

Naruto watched as his opponent slowly stood up from his crash site.

 ** _"He seems a little hurt. He should have difficulties standing by now."_** Kurama said.

 _"Yeah. This guy's tough, I admit."_

 ** _"Not really. He just happened to be wearing a very advanced chakra armor. You have to destroy it first. Remember, those chakra armors have their limits. Just bombard him with your strongest jutsus."_**

 _"Got it. Show time."_

Naruto created four shadow clones to protect himself while he closed his eyes and concentrated for his jutsu.

Narumi felt a warm breeze gathering in the air and mentally warned her comrades through the mental link as she recognized her brother's jutsu. The Uzumaki Army quickly formed handseals for an earth jutsu. Doto's army watched in confusion as the opposing army slammed their palms to the ground and elevated the earth around them ten meters high.

As Naruto finished gathering the necessary chakra, he flashed into a dozen seal and finished by clasping his hands into a praying position as he called out his attack.

 **"Hellfire Release: Inferno's Third Circle!"**

A huge blast of fire came out from Naruto's body and burned everything around him in a thirty-mile radius. The earth around him cracked open as black flames rose and scorched everything on it. Those who were within the blast range immediately got consumed by the black flames. Their chakra armors were nothing as the inferno easily melted them off, destroying the main panels and electrocuting them while they burned. They screamed in agony as their bodies turned into ash. Their souls also feeling the heat of the black flames, hence the name of the jutsu.

Hellfire was a legendary type of Fire Release long forgotten. The last people who had this Kekkei Genkai have long died before the First Shinobi War took place. Only those who had a very, very, strong and potent affinity to fire have the power to use it. The Flames of the Amaterasu produced by the Uchiha's Mangekyou Sharingan is an example of a Hellfire jutsu. Although the Uchihas were not aware of it. Naruto's jutsu have nine levels with the first circle being the weakest and the ninth circle the most powerful, has the largest radius, and required the most amount of chakra. The chakra required for the first circle is equivalent to summoning a minor boss summon.

Naruto had a maniacal look as he stared into Doto's eyes, as if he gazed right into his soul. Doto felt uneasy as he noticed the blonde's eyes. They were now red slits. He was thankful for his highly-advanced chakra armor as he was still alive and well, although he did not notice the new cracks all over it. When Naruto cast his jutsu, Doto tried to counter it by using his **Ice Release: Black Dragon Blizzard** but the inferno's flames simply burned it instead of melting it.

"Muwahahaha!" Naruto laughed. "Behold! You will be the first one to see and feel my ultimate piece of art! Tremble in fear! Be afraid! Recoil in despair! Cower in awe! And cry your heart out! Because my art… IS AN EXPLOSION!" Naruto cackled madly as he began weaving into a long series of seals.

"SHIT!" Narumi cursed as she watched the skies. Storm clouds were quickly gathering due to the high concentration of heat below. "WE NEED TO GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! THIS PLACE WILL BE OBLITERATED IN THIRTY SECONDS!" She ordered the army.

Minako quickly jumped down and grabbed the downed Nadare, taking him with them.

As the Uzumaki Army retreated for cover, Doto also felt the danger ahead, although not knowing what it was.

"Stop him!" He ordered his army.

Those who were brave enough charged at the blonde but were confronted by Naruto's clones.

As Naruto reached the one hundredth seal, he called out his jutsu.

 **"STORM RELEASE: KAMI'S WRATH!"**

Silence. There was a three second silence. For those within the area, it seemed like a long time. After the quiet, there was a blinding flash of light. And then it happened.

Thousands of lightning strikes rained down from the sky. A hundred tornadoes were created and touched the already blazing ground. The fire powered the tornadoes turning them into fire tornadoes. The strong winds blew everywhere causing the droplets of rain to freeze, turning into hale. The area was consumed by lightning, ice, and fire storm. It was pure destruction. The wrath of Kami indeed. If someone would watch it from a distance, they would see a breathtaking, captivating, and yet at the same time, a horrifying scene.

The storm went on for ten minutes before it finally showed a decrease of power. After another ten minutes, it finally died down.

The area now looked like a wasteland. There was residual smoke. Trees were either scorched or uprooted. The earth was dry and cracked. The castle was obliterated into a pile of scorched stone. Thousands of dead bodies littered the ground. Those who miraculously survived watched in horror as they took in the scene.

The Uzumaki Army swept in for the kill. Not for vengeance, not of hatred. But of mercy. They ended the lives of the surviving mercenary army to release them from their misery of pain and trauma.

In a certain crater, a silhouette of a certain man could be seen slowly standing up. The man took a look at his surroundings for a good one minute before he checked on himself.

"Hahahaha! That was the most destructive jutsu I have seen… and lived after it! Hahahaha!" Doto laughed as he found Naruto.

The blonde kept an impassive look as he began channeling chakra to his body once more, his "Madara Moment" over.

Doto was about to make another taunt when he heard loud cracking noises. He looked at his armor as it finally broke into pieces and fell off his body. His smirk immediately vanished as he realized he was completely defenseless now. He never had shinobi training and only relied on his chakra armor. For the first time in twenty years, he once again felt real fear. He tried his best not to show it but failed.

Naruto casually walked towards him as he began cracking his knuckles, the same way his grandmother Tsunade does when she's about to beat up someone.

For the next ten minutes, the sounds of flesh ripping and getting pounded could be heard. After three minutes of beating, he finally broke down and began pleading for mercy. His cries for mercy fell on deaf ears as he received his beating.

As he lay on the ground like a beaten pulp, a group of people wearing chakra armor came to him. They all removed their helmets as Doto stared at them.

"Hello, uncle." Koyuki greeted coldly. "Missed me? I believe you're looking for this." She said as she showed him the hexagonal crystal.

"Due to your greed and envy, you killed my father and ruined this country. You sent people after me so you could claim this crystal. The key to Snow Country's treasure. You thought this will open a safe that contains a large collection of items that you can trade for gold? Let me show what this treasure does. This was my father's final gift to me and Snow Country."

Koyuki had her guards drag her broken uncle towards the rainbow glaciers, with everyone following behind.

As Koyuki placed the crystal on the hexagonal pedestal, a soft humming sound could be heard. Slowly, they felt warmth coming from the generator. After a few minutes the land was no longer covered in snow. Fresh green grass and blooming flowers could be seen all throughout Snow Country's landscape.

Everybody watched as a projection appeared, reflected by the rainbow glaciers. It showed a four year old Koyuki talking with her father.

"Believe in the future. If you do, spring will come." Sosetsu said. "Koyuki, what would you like to do when it comes?"

"I'll become a princess!" Young Koyuki replied.

"Hmm, what kind of princess?"

"Hmmmm… A kind, strong one… A princess who believes in justice!"

"Hahahaha! That's going to be very hard work! But if you don't give up and keep on believing in your dreams, one day, for sure, you will become one." Sosetsu said as he placed the necklace around her neck. "Can you see that a very beautiful princess is standing here?"

"But I am not quite decided yet… There is one more thing that I want to become."

"What is it?"

"An actress!"

Koyuki shed tears of joy as the scene faded.

 _"I've done it father… I've become an actress. I'm ready to become a princess now."_

 **Time Skip – One Day**

The Uzumaki Army have gathered the remains of the fallen and burned them. The people of Snow Country have gathered at the old castle. They were overjoyed when they learned of Doto's crushing defeat against the Uzumaki Army.

In the middle of the square was a stage. On it were Doto, Fubuki, Mizore, and Nadare bound and gagged, set into kneeling positions in front of the crowd. The crowd was murmuring among themselves as they openly pointed and glared at the four. Koyuki walked in front and all talking stopped at once. She faced the four and began to talk.

"You have committed crimes against Snow Country and its people. You have stolen its riches and used it for your own personal use. You have usurped the throne and assassinated the daimyo and tried to kill her daughter as well. If you haven't been stopped, you would have brought more destruction upon Snow Country as you have planned waging war against the five great countries in the elemental nations."

Koyuki then unsheathed a long katana.

"I, Kazahana Koyuki, daughter of Kazahana Sosetsu and the rightful heir to the throne, hereby declare you guilty of plunder, treason, and murder. As the bringer of justice, I sentence you to death. You no longer have the rights to say your last words."

Koyuki closed her eyes and took deep breaths. As she opened them, she struck down the sword four times, decapitating the traitors.

As the four headless bodies slumped to the floor, everybody cheered. Doto and his followers were finally gone at last.

Koyuki wiped a tear as she joined Naruto and his siblings.

 _"Father, you are avenged. You may now rest in peace."_

 **Time Skip – One Month**

 **Land of Snow / Spring**

After Doto's death, the people of Snow Country began rebuilding. With the help of Uzushiogakure, they were able to construct buildings that are far superior compared to the ones they had during Doto's rule. With the combined efforts of Snow and Whirlpool's scientists, they have managed to finish the generator. Snow Country was no longer covered with snow, but instead, by green grass and blooming flowers. A month after Doto's death, the country was renamed to The Land of Spring.

During the month, Koyuki have formally taken position as Spring's Daimyo. The alliance with Uzushio was formally signed. Kushina and Minato paid a visit during that day. More ships came from Whirlpool bearing construction supplies and blue prints. New trade routes have been opened as well. The daimyo asked for help as she wanted Spring to have its own shinobi village. Whirlpool agreed and asked for students to study in Uzu while the construction of The Village Hidden among Spring occurred.

Goku with the help of his crew finished filming the Princess Gale movie. Goku's company was now looking for actors and actresses for their next project, The Whirlpool Princess. The battle that occurred a month ago was also made into a movie, which will be entitled as The Missing Snow. It was based on Daimyo Koyuki's real life story. From the time when she was four years old up to the point where she finally claimed the throne as Snow, now Spring's, daimyo. The movie had two purposes; one was for audience and income, and two, for Uzushiogakure's propaganda. It will be available for viewing one month before the Chuunin Exams that will be held in Konohagakure.

 **Uzushiogakure**

 **Uzukage Office**

The Uzukage was currently signing papers regarding The Land of Spring. She straightened up on her seat as the STORM Commander appeared in a whirlpool shunshin.

"Uzukage-sama." Kaede said as he laid an envelope on Kushina's desk.

The Uzukage opened the envelope to reveal a stack of forms, an invitation card, a brochure, and a letter from Konohagakure. It was for the upcoming Chuunin Exams. Kushina smiled as she set down the papers.

"It's time."

 **Chapter Sixteen End**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **1\. This is Chapter 16 of 24. Thanks for staying with me up to this part! We're now two-thirds of the story.**

 **2\. Have you guys seen Blessed by Death yet? It's a new story I just published. I've decided to begin with a new story now that I'm almost finished with The Lost Maelstrom. Please check it out!**

 **3\. Review, Follow, and Favorite to receive the latest updates! See you in the Chuunin Exams! :D**

 **Blessed by Death**

 **Full Summary:** Every century, the Shinigami chooses a recently deceased mortal to be its host. During the Kyuubi's sealing, it happened to be the time for the god of death to pick a new body. Because of the barrier seal, Kushina Uzumaki was the only choice when the Yondaime performed the Shiki Fujin. As the new Shinigami, Kushina is able to see her son's future and grants Naruto a new bloodline and power over darkness to protect himself from Konoha and others who wanted to harm him.


	17. Chapter 17: Choosing which Path

**Sorry for the long wait. As you all know, my laptop broke and I had to borrow my mother's laptop. Unfortunately, my sister decided to become a bitch and kept the laptop for herself, so I had to use the school's computers instead in order to write the story.**

 **...**

 **Credits to Mikey (Guest) for the idea about the exams being broadcast live.**

 **...**

 **Chapter Seventeen: Choosing which Path**

 **Six Weeks Before the Chuunin Exams**

 **Uzukage Mansion, Naruto's Room**

 _"Choose. To preserve? Or to destroy? Choose."_ A powerful and ancient voice said.

Naruto's eyes fluttered open. It was now morning. He had been dreaming. This was not the first time he dreamt about that unknown source of voice prompting him to choose. He sat in silence pondering about it before finally shrugging and heading downstairs for breakfast. What Naruto did not know was Hinata and Sasuke were also awake, thinking about the dream. They too have been having the same dream ever since they returned from Spring Country.

 **Uzukage Office**

"Send these papers back to Konoha."

"Hai." Sai said. "Uzukage-sama, if I may ask, how does the seal exactly work?"

"The Hokage, Danzo, some council members, and the ANBU are the only people in Konoha who regularly check the bingo book as well as a few jonins. When the Hokage or whoever reads these papers, the seal will activate and affect their mind and put them into a kind of trance without them knowing. So even if they read Naruto's entry, who's an S-Rank nin in the bingo book, they will ignore that fact and allow him to partake with the chunin examination, not seeing him as a threat."

"Truly, the art of fuinjutsu is both amazing and terrifying. The things you can do with it are just endless." Commented Sai, who was very amazed.

 **Later, Uzushiogakure Training Grounds**

Gaara and his siblings have been sent by the Kazakage back to Uzushiogakure for their training. With them was their sensei, Baki. Along with their classmates, they were currently being briefed by the Uzukage.

"We have four weeks to train before you're sent to Konoha, and that is two weeks before the event. Your roles are the most important for the attack." Said the Uzukage.

"As for the team assignments, Miho will be acting as the jonin sensei of Naruto's team. Mio for Fu's team, and Utakata for Tayuya's team. The Suna Team will be the same with Baki as their sensei."

"As you have noticed, each team has a jinchuuriki. Now, the four of you will be working on your synchronization with your respective tailed beats. You may be now friends with each other but you still have to complete the bond for you to be able to become perfect jinchuurikis."

"Like Killer Bee of Kumo?" Utakata asked.

"Yes. You will be going to a temple similar to the one inside the giant tortoise." Minato replied. "Arashi-sama will be the one to watch over your training. You four will begin your training as soon as you arrive at the island. If you four would, please follow me."

After the five have left, Kushina continued.

"The rest of you are free to ask any sensei you wish to train you. I have already informed all jonin about this, so they will not refuse and will transfer their current work to another if they are currently preoccupied. Feel free to use any of the training grounds." And with that, the Uzukage went back to her office.

Sasuke went off to find Tobi while Hinata went to find her mother. Lee ran off to the academy for Kaze, while Karin went to the hospital to find Shizune. Yakumo also ran off to the academy for Natsuki. Tayuya and Shion remained since they wanted to be trained by Mio and Miho. Baki led Kankuro and Temari to another ground to train.

 **Hyuuga Residence – Training Grounds**

"After some studying and observing, I have come to the conclusion about your dojutsu." Hitomi stated.

"What of it, Kaa-san?" Asked Hinata.

"You are half Hyuuga and half Uzumaki. Therefore, it is just right that you either get the Byakugan or the Rinnegan. The Byakugan is already active when a Hyuuga is born, only requiring for the user to learn how to wield it. While the Rinnegan normally awakens when an Uzumaki reaches the age eighteen or when the user undergoes extreme training, or experiences extreme trauma.

Back in Konoha, you were made an outcast due to your eyes. Yours doesn't exactly look like the ones the Hyuugas have. Although impossible, I have concluded that your Rinnegan and Byakugan have combined.

Normally a person cannot have two dojutsus. If one had the Rinnegan while their spouse had the Sharingan or the Byakugan, their off-spring will only receive one dojutsu, depending on the dominating genes. Hanabi got the Byakugan. In your case, my Rinnegan genes and Hiashi's Byakugan genes have combined instead of overpowering each other. The only known person who had both dojutsu, Rinnegan and Sharingan combined, was the Sage of the Six Paths himself. If my theory is right, then you will be the second person to have a combined dojutsu."

"How do we know if I really do have the two combined?"

"This is where your training starts. The first part is for you to activate your dojutsu. Now, I want you to sit below that waterfall and meditate. Concentrate and feel nature around you. Once you begin feeling it, gather chakra to your eyes. I do not know what your dojutsu's name is, but you will. You will hear it in your mind once you have perfected your meditation." Hitomi said while Hinata did as ordered. "Once you activate your new dojutsu, we go to the second part of your training: getting acquainted with your new powers. Begin."

 **Uchiha Residence – Training Grounds**

"Tobi will be training you to increase your chakra control and capacity further by doing extreme chakra exercises. Next week, you and Tobi will be fighting one on one using the Susanoo. It is time for you to activate its second form, while also maintaining it for more than thirty minutes." Said Tobi.

Sasuke groaned as he could already feel hell. Tobi may be a good boy but he was bad when it came to training. Tobi was a slave driver and a sadist.

 **Konohagakure**

 **Training Ground Three**

Konoha's recent graduates, the Rookie Nine, were currently gathered and were discussing about the incoming exam.

"Combining our gathered information, we know that the exam will be divided into three parts." Neji said as he began writing on the sand.

"The first part will be a written examination with nine questions. Its main purpose is for us to cheat and not to get caught. The tenth question is simple. We will be asked to give up since the next round will be difficult." Sasame said.

"Obviously, it is a trap. We'll just have to remain silent and continue to the next round." Sakura finished.

"Now, we need to plan about how we're going to cheat while also communicate with the others in order to share information. We will be arranged in a sitting position where there will be chunins near us." Said Shino.

As the Rookie Nine were too busy planning, they did not notice three other people watching them at a distance, listening to their conversation.

"They have a nice plan." Asuma commented.

"However, their plan won't work. The chuunin exams will be different compared to the ones before." Kakashi drawled as he kept his eyes on his orange book.

"Still, they are showing their youthfulness by working as a big team!" Said Gai.

"Hmm, you say something Gai?"

"Damn you Kakashi and your hip attitude!"

"Shut up! They're going to hear us." Asuma reprimanded them.

Just then, an ANBU appeared behind them.

"Kakashi-san, Gai-san, Asuma-san. Hokage-sama wishes to speak with you."

 **Hokage Office**

"Thank you for coming in short notice." The Hokage began. "As I'm sure you're aware by now, the chuunin examinations will be different compared to the ones before. Since Kumo and Iwa along with new other villages are participating, the council have decided to make it different. We can't appear to look weak and therefore, we must prepare a harder exam. And since our chunin exam's procedures are now common knowledge, I'm sure the audience will bore themselves to death if we kept it like that."

Everyone chuckled as they realized it was true.

"More importantly, the exams will be broadcast live worldwide." Sarutobi said as he puffed smoke from his pipe.

"What?!" Kakashi exclaimed, stopping reading and putting his porn book in his pocket.

"This is why I wanted you to train your students harder. We have six weeks left before the exam. This event is very important to us as it will be broadcast live worldwide. If our genins make it to the finals, it will show the world that Konoha produces strong shinobi. Not only the world will see us as a strong village, this will also make us attract more contracts and business agreements."

"YOSH! YOU CAN TRUST US ON THIS TASK, HOKAGE-SAMA! WE WILL MAKE SURE OUR STUDENTS BURN TO THEIR BRIGHTEST AS THEIR FLAMES OF YOUTH SHOW THE WORLD THEIR-"

Everybody else in the room just sighed while the Taijutsu Master went on with his speech.

"-AND IF NOT, I WILL MAKE FIVE HUNDRED LAPS AROUND KONOHA!" Gai finished, striking a pose.

"Very well." The Hokage said. "You are dismissed. Make sure you do not inform your genins about the change in the examinations as it would be unfair." Sarutobi said as he pointed at his crystal ball. "They have a nice plan. And I'm glad they're working together. Just make sure they will still work together even if they find about the new exam. Konoha stood strong and won the war because of teamwork. Remember that."

The hokage went back to puffing smoke and signing paperwork when the jonin senseis left. They never noticed another presence outside the room who was also listening to their conversation.

 _"Pfft. Teamwork my ass. If it wasn't for the Uzumaki Clan you wouldn't have won the war. You repaid Uzu by selling her to her enemies, traitor."_ Thought Kabuto as he stealthily left the Hokage Tower. _"Ah, whatever. Konoha will be no more after the third part of the exam. At least I know the third part is still a tournament, although I'm not sure what kind. Uzukage-sama will be pleased when she learns about the exams being broadcast live."_

About five minutes after Kabuto left, Danzo and Jiraiya entered the office.

"Ahh, Danzo, Jiraiya, what news do you bing?" Greeted Sarutobi.

"The infiltration in the Third City failed." Danzo began. "Like all other spies sent by other villages, they have been captured and executed publicly. The spies I sent to Otogakure haven't sent word yet."

"Hmm, let's just hope your ROOT have made it inside Oto and weren't captured, or worse, killed."

"Do not worry about them. I have confidence in my ROOT."

"As for me, I have successfully integrated Gatou's remaining assets to Konoha and my spy network." Said Jiraiya proudly. "Those who refused to join were of course killed."

"Good. Make sure to keep surveillance about possible threats."

"Will do, Hokage-sama." Jiraiya and Danzo both said as they bowed and left the office.

 **Uzushiogakure**

 **Uzukage Office**

"Uzukage-sama, there's something you need to know."

"Kaede, what is it?"

"Our spy tower near Land of Lightning's mountains have spotted a floating island as huge as Fourth City headed southwest. Below the floating island was a Navy Fleet moving along them, probably as escorts."

"Have you identified who these people might be?"

"Hai. Upon closer inspection, we have found that everyone in the fleet were wearing hitai-ates, confirming our suspicions that they were shinobi from Sora no Kuni."

"Soragakure? Hmm, so they're back."

"And so it seems. This can't be good. What are your orders?"

"Send four squads of STORM and have them infiltrate the island and the fleet. Find out their purpose. I want news in one week."

 **One Week Later**

"Report."

"Soragakure is headed towards Fire Country. Their objective is to destroy Konoha. We have calculated their speed and concluded that they will enter Fire Country's borders in three weeks."

"We cannot allow that to happen. They will only ruin our plans… Here are your orders: Have a dozen airships and warships intercept Sky Village. I want you and Minato-kun to lead two thousand of our strongest STORM operatives and eliminate the threat. The Land of Sky must be wiped out within one week. Now move."

 **Konohagakure**

 **Hokage Office**

"Sensei!"

Sarutobi looked up and was quick to jump away from his seat as the windows crashed because of Jiraiya.

"Damn it, Jiraiya! Use the damn door!"

"Sorry, sensei. But doors are too simple. And besides, I have urgent news."

"What is it?"

"My spies located near Water Country have spotted a huge floating island along with a fleet headed towards Fire Country."

"…"

"Sensei…?"

"How does this island look like?"

"It looked like a temple. The design looked ancient."

"Soragakure. It's the Land of Sky. Jiraiya, I want you to find out where exactly they're headed and what they are doing in the Elemental Nations' domain. There will be no stop overs for you, Jiraiya! Meaning, no time for your research. This is important. Find out about Sky and report back to me as soon as possible."

Jiraiya felt the air of seriousness from the hokage. He nodded and left the office. Sarutobi sighed and called for his hidden ANBU.

"Hokage-sama?"

"One of you get me Nara Shikaku and Hyuuga Hiashi. One of you go to our weapons department and make sure all equipment are at perfect condition. One of you go to the barrier corps and tell them to double the number of people patrolling. I will be going there later to have our barrier doubled. I want sealing and barrier teams by then. And oh, one of you inform my secretary to have my office windows fixed and replaced by a double thick glass."

"Understood, Hokage-sama."

 **Unkown Location**

Arashi along with the four jinchuuriki have travelled to a far-away and isolated island. The island could not be found by normal means since it was hidden among the clouds. Meaning, it was high in the sky. In the entrance was a golden tori as huge as a village gate. The floating island was circular and had nine waterfalls. Each waterfall had a carving of a tailed beast in gold. In the main center of the island was a huge tree in twenty-one-meter diameter and about three hundred meters tall.

"Two months ago, Miroku had a vision of you four training to become the perfect jinchuuriki. She gave the description of the place for us to find. STORM Operatives have only just found about this place two weeks ago. After spending time here and observing the place, we have concluded that this place had been created by the Sage himself for the biju and their host. He must have seen the future and learned about jinchuurikis."

"On with the lesson… The first step on becoming a perfect jinchuuriki is by fighting your own self. The second is by harnessing your biju's chakra where you will be able to use Chakra Mode. The third and final step is synchronization, where you undergo Tailed Beast Mode after successfully becoming one with your biju." Said Arashi.

"Time to get started. Go to your respective waterfalls and begin meditating. Conquer your inner self. Good luck." Arashi said as he produced three clones. The clones following one jinchuuriki, while the original Arashi followed after Naruto.

 **Naruto's Mindscape**

 ** _"So, you have come. Have you decided yet?"_** A familiar voice asked.

Naruto turned around and gasped. In front of him was, well, himself. Except there were a little difference. The other person's eyes were purple and had ring patterns around it. He also had two horns.

"Are you my inner self?" Naruto asked.

 ** _"Ah. I guess you could call me that. So, have you decided yet?"_** He asked once again.

"What do you mean?"

 ** _"Are you going to preserve, or are you going to destroy?"_**

"I'm really confused. Is this my test? Aren't we supposed to be fighting for dominance?"

 ** _"Hahaha! That was funny. If you were like the other jinchuuriki, you would have to fight your inner self. But you aren't like them. You are me. I am the one who'd been asking you to choose in your dream. Instead of fighting, you must decide whether you'd preserve or destroy."_**

"You're giving me a headache. Would you please speak in a normal fashion and not in weird riddles?"

 ** _"If you haven't figured it out yet, I am you."_**

"Well, of course, you are! You're my inner self, right?" Asked an annoyed Naruto.

 ** _"Yes. But you do not understand. However, you will once you have made your choice. To destroy? Or to preserve?"_**

 **Uzushiogakure**

 **Hyuuga Residence Training Grounds**

It has been a week since Hinata began meditating to activate her dojutsu. Every day, she would try to meditate for eight hours, only stopping to eat and drink. Hinata was still currently sitting at the middle of the small waterfall.

 _"Choose. To preserve? Or to destroy? Choose."_ A whisper said while she was meditating.

 _"It's that voice again."_ Hinata thought as she opened her eyes. She gasped when she found herself in what looked like a sewer, instead of her meditating area.

 **"You have come, at last, child."** Said someone.

 **Uchiha Residence Training Grounds**

Sasuke lay at the ground panting as he and Tobi finished a spar. For the past week he had been training hard until he tired himself out. As of now he was just as exhausted. He closed his eyes while he regained his breathing.

 _"Choose. To preserve? Or to destroy? Choose."_ Sasuke heard as he felt a soft breeze.

 _"It's that voice again."_ Sasuke thought. He breathed a long and deep sigh as he opened his eyes but gasped when he noticed he was not in his training ground. He stood up and checked his surroundings, realizing he was in a huge sewer. Shrugging, he walked off to explore the place.

 **"This way, my child. The others are waiting."** A voice said. It was the same voice as the one he had been hearing in his dreams.

 **Naruto's Mindscape**

"What?"

 **"Patience, my dear boy. I will be explaining things soon as they arrive."**

"They? Who?" Naruto asked, confused. Just then, he heard splashing of water, indicating someone's approach.

"Na-Naruto-kun? What…? What's going on?" Hinata asked, not noticing the other person with him.

Naruto was surprised to find Hinata inside his mindscape. But before he could respond to her question, he heard more splashing of water. He and Hinata turned to find Sasuke approaching.

"Hey guys. You're here as well. What's going on?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto simply shrugged as he pointed towards his look-alike.

 **"Now that the three of you are here, I will be explaning things. But before that, let's have our seats, shall we?"** He asked as he waved his hands and four couches appeared. He took a seat while the other three nervously followed him.

 **"Now, for starters, I'm going to introduce myself… My name is Otsutsuki Hagaromo. Or as many knew me, I am the Sage of the Six Paths, Founder of Ninshu."**

The Sage held out a hand as the three were about to speak. **"No interruptions. Now, as you three have grown in Uzushio, I'm sure you are now familiar with the task I assigned to the Otsutsuki – now Uzumaki Clan. And that is by maintaining balance. I, the Sage, am not necessarily good. I am also evil in some way you may call it. In passing judgement, I and my descendants must choose whether to destroy something that causes imbalance to the world, or to give them a second chance. Balance is not always achieved through peaceful ways, it can be also achieved through death and destruction."**

 **"I have been asking you three to choose ever since you freed Snow Country. You three will play a very important role to the world's future, as it is your destiny. You will forge your own path should you choose to preserve, or to destroy Konoha and the other three villages who desired to destroy our clan before. I will be only guiding you once you have made your decision. Whether you choose to preserve or to destroy, I will be helping you in the future."**

 **"I'm sure you three might be wondering why I chose you… That will be answered once you have passed your judgement. You may now speak."**

Surprisingly, it was Sasuke who spoke first.

"I came from Konoha. And I'm going to judge them starting with my family. When I was younger, I never understood why the whole village hated Naruto. My family, who's supposed to be the police task force and protecting the people, were included to the mobs formed to attack one single child. I have also noticed that everyone was cold. Those who were showing kindness were being treated harshly, turning them into angry and heartless people."

"I have already imagined what would happen when I returned to Konoha for the exams, when I would see my old family. And I can no longer call them my family as I have decided that I am now a part of the Uzumaki Clan, not the Uchiha. I am only starting to understand what you are talking about, but now I am sure in my answer… I will be choosing the path of destruction. I will become a part of Konoha's destruction."

The Sage nodded, satisfied with his answer. It was Hinata who spoke next.

"I too also came from Konoha. I was from a clan where the same family members are being enslaved, and that was the one thing I hated the most about the Hyuuga. During the time I was still heiress, it was my dream to abolish the Caged Bird Seal and merge both houses into one. When my title of heiress was put at stake, I had to fight for my clan. Sadly, I lost. The worse part was, the same people whom I aimed to save were the ones to drag me down."

"My decision stands with the beliefs of the Uzumaki Clan. I will be passing judgement by choosing to destroy."

Hagaromo nodded approvingly. Now they were looking at Naruto, waiting for his judgement.

"The world has been imbalanced indeed, since the beginning of the great shinobi wars. Kohona, Kumo, Kiri, and Iwa have played their parts to it. Even our ally, Suna, who condemned their own by making an incomplete sealing of a demon inside a child. Konoha have done atrocities that I myself have experienced. I was the village's scapegoat. Kumo have been kidnapping children and raising them as their own to make their expendable weapons, also making the kidnapped children breeding factories in the future. Kiri, they were killing their own people. Iwa have produced the most number of rogue criminals. The elemental countries see jinchuuriki only as weapons. They shun them away and treat them wrongly for having a demon sealed inside them. Tailed Beasts were also treated unkindly as they were sealed into humans meant for war. There are a lot more bad things that have happened and will continue if my clan doesn't act sooner. My choice, obviously, is to maintain peace. By maintaining peace, there have to be a sacrifice. Peace can be also attained even if it means by destroying."

 **"Very well. You three have chosen to gain peace by forging the path of destruction. As I've said, whether you choose to preserve or to destroy, I will be guiding you."**

 **"Hinata, you have been meditating for a week, trying to unlock your eyes. I'm very impressed you and your mother figured it out. You will receive your inheritance once you turn eighteen. For now, I will be upgrading your eyes to the Tenseigan. You will understand what it is once you unlock it."**

 **"You, Sasuke, have been also training your Mangekyou Sharingan. In order to help you with Konoha's destruction, I will be giving you the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan to keep you from going blind and to also use your eye to its full potential. You will be unlocking your gift once you turn eighteen as well."**

 **"Lastly, Naruto. Your Rinnegan have been dormant even though you were able to use it twice before. I will be unlocking it now for you to get used to it. The destruction of Konoha is not the only thing that's going to happen. Be prepared. You will unlock the rest of your gifts once I deem you fit to use it."**

 **"Now, you have been asking yourselves why I chose you. It's simple, really. Uzumaki Hinata and Uzumaki Sasuke, you two are the reincarnation of my children. Hinata, who have descended from both Senju and Uzumaki, you possess the soul of Asura. While you, Uzumaki Sasuke, who have descended from both Uchiha and Uzumaki, are the reincarnation of Indra."**

The three children were silent as they stared at the Sage. Hagaromo closed his eyes and when he opened them, they were now different from being purple. His eyes were now red. The ripple patterns were still there but on it were nine black tomoes. Once again he spoke in a riddle-like and sagely manner.

 **"Otsutsuki Senju Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto, you have chosen your path. You have made your answer. You have won against your inner self. You won't be needing to go on to the second and third stage to become the perfect jinchuuriki. For you have already mastered your training. All you have to do is befriend the remaining bijus. This is my first task for you to do."**

"I still don't understand." Said Naruto.

 **"You will, in time. For I am you. You are my reincarnation. You are the second coming of the Rikudou Sennin."**

 **Exit Mindscape – Back to the Island**

Arashi and the three other jinchuuriki watched nervously as they waited for Naruto to finish his battle against his inner-self. Gaara, Fuu, and Utakata have already finished theirs long ago. Just then, they saw Naruto's body glow and emit a red pulse of chakra, making them step backwards. He sent out a total of six chakra blasts before the glow around his body died out. After the sixth pulse, they noticed Naruto's hair color change into a shade of red, like Kushina's. It was at this moment Naruto began to open his eyes, revealing purple ringed ones.

"Everyone hold hands while I contact the rest of the family, I have some things to show you." Naruto stated as he stood up, his eyes making contact with theirs.

 **Time Skip – One Week**

 **Uzushiogakure**

 **Uzukage Office**

"Mission success, Uzukage-sama. Sky Country and its people have been eliminated. The island had been destroyed into rubble while the fleet have been captured and is being brought to First City for further research."

 **Konohagakure**

 **Hokage Office**

"What do you mean nothing?!" Hiruzen shouted.

Jiraiya cowered in fear as he felt his sensei's killing intent. He knew that his sensei knew about him stalling, visiting a few hot springs to peep. "Eh, sensei, I mean, when I arrived at the place where the floating city was spotted, I found nothing. There was also no fleet below. I investigated the path it took, and there were traces of destroyed and fallen rubble. Obviously there had been a battle, that I strongly believe. But there were no corpses… I do believe they have been taken care off as well by whomever attacked them."

The Hokage took calming breaths as he sat down, thinking. "Have you made any investigation about their sudden disappearance? Who do you think attacked them?"

"I'm sorry sensei, but I have no answer to that. Sky is the only known nation who has an air force. But do not worry, I've already tasked my spy network to figure it out."

"That won't be necessary." Someone said as the door of the office opened, revealing a bandaged man.

"Danzo. What do you mean?" Asked Hiruzen.

"Have you seen the newest movie yet?"

"I have no time to watch movies. I'm already busy because of the upcoming event."

"Then make time. Watch this movie. It was recorded and really happened. I've already made an investigation about the movie producer and found out just now that it was indeed based on a real story, especially the battle."

"What are you talking about? What is this movie?"

"The movie is entitled, The Missing 'Snow'. It was made available for viewing just this morning and is already climbing to the top list. I strongly suggest for the whole council to watch it."

"Very well, I trust your word. This must be very important for you to endorse it and ask the whole council to watch."

"Send an ANBU for me once you've watched it. We will have a meeting after." Danzo said as he exited the office.

"Hmm, I wonder." Mused the Hokage as he began puffing smoke.

 **Kumogakure**

"Yugito. Remember your duty. You fully transforming into Nibi will be the signal for our invasion to start. Ell and Emm will be your teammates during this mission. Bee's team will be entering the exams as well. Make Kumo proud and show the world of our strength! I'm counting on you."

"Hai! Raikage-sama!"

 **Iwagakure**

"Roshi. Han. You will be acting as jonin senseis of the other two genin teams. Kurotsuchi, make sure you make Konoha see their mistake of blackmailing us. Destroy their genins. Show no mercy. Akatsuchi, make sure my granddaughter performs her duty."

"Hai! Tsuchikage-sama!"

 **Kirigakure**

"Chojuro, be more confident."

"H-hai, Mizukage-sama. I will d-do my b-best!"

"Good! Now, lead your teammates to victory!"

 **Time Skip – Two Weeks**

 **Konohagakure no Sato**

Izumo and Kotetsu yawned as they watched people come and go. Due to the incoming event, security have been tightened and so the two gate guards were joined by six more.

The two stood in attention as the hidden ANBU alerted them about incoming visitors. The gate guards waited in silence as they approached the gate. There were twelve of them and all of them were wearing red hooded cloaks with gold swirls. They immediately recognized them as the group from Uzu. As they arrived at the reception desk, they removed their cloaks. As the sun reflected, the guards noticed their unique hitai-ates. The cloth was royal red while the plate was gold. The Uzushiogakure Swirl could be easily seen because of the crimson red engraving.

The Konoha guards immediately recognized the one who was the exact replica of the Yondaime Hokage, with the additional three whisker marks on each cheek. Naruto was wearing dark red armour. In the front of the chest plate was the Senju clan symbol while in the back was the Uzumaki clan symbol. Beneath the armor, he was wearing the standard Senju clothing. Naruto's usually unkempt hair was running down smoothly through his shoulders, resembling his to Hashirama's.

Next they recognized was the banished Uchiha. Like Naruto, Sasuke was wearing dark red armour and beneath it was the regular Uchiha clothing. In front of the chest plate was the Uchiha crest and the Uzumaki at the back. His long hair was untied making it look like Madara's.

Hinata and the rest wore their usual attire. Although on top of their regular clothing, they were all wearing royal red long vests, the Uzumaki crest in gold, stitched in each side of the front vest and one at the back.

Beneath their clothing, everyone including Naruto and Sasuke wore a full body chainmail applied with seals making it extremely light and comfortable and yet very strong, for added protection. Additionally, the chainmail could only be seen by the wearer.

A crowd of Konoha citizens and shinobi was starting to gather at the gate and were ogling at the Uzushio party. Most of the higher-ranking shinobi were eyeing Naruto and Sasuke, mainly because they looked like Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.

 _"You two realize you just made yourselves a bigger target, right? What happened to laying low?"_ Asked Hinata through their mental link, making the others snicker.

 _"Don't blame me, it was Naruto's idea."_ Sasuke defended.

 _"Yeah, and you were enthusiastic with the idea anyway."_ Snorted Naruto.

 _"Well, it's really cool."_

 _"I know. Anyway, it's just right. We're both descendants of Konoha's founders. You have the Eternal Mangekyou, I have the Mokuton Release. It's just perfect and ironic since we will be destroying this place later."_

 _"Anyway, I'm starting to feel uncomfortable with them ogling at us. If you will notice, there's a crowd gathering here, and it's growing. I might just activate my Tenseigan and begin blasting people."_ Said Hinata.

Mio and Miho were aware of this and decided to break the silence before the three started killing people. Ever since the Sage visited them, the three became more interested in raining death and destruction. They figured it was because of the path they have chosen.

"Ehem." Mio coughed. "We're here for the chunin exams."

"Here are our passes." Said Miho.

"Oh. Yeah. Right!" Izumo said as he was awakened from his stupor.

"Just please sign with your names here and you may enter." Said Kotetsu.

After the Uzushio party finished logging in, they began marching inside the city to look for a hotel to check in.

As they walked passed the crowd, they heard whisperings and murmurings. Most of it coming from the younger ones.

"Did you see him?"

"Yes. It's him!"

"He played an important role in the ending of Princess Gale!"

"Yeah! He was also one of the actors in the movie The Missing Snow!"

"Woah, do you think he's giving away autographs?"

The adults, on the other hand, were openly pointing at Naruto while the others also noticed the twins, muttering things such as them being the Yondaime's children.

 _"Woah! What happened to 'Demon Brat'?"_ Naruto asked.

 _"We're not sure, otouto."_ Replied Miho.

 _"Just try not to kill them yet, alright? We'll have time for that later."_ Said Mio.

 _"Yeah, alright, I'll try."_

Konoha's Rookie Nine happened to be at the barbecue restaurant and noticed the Uzushio group passing.

"Hey guys, look!" Said Tenten, pointing at the visitors.

"It's Sasuke-kun!" Squealed Sakura.

"He's such a hottie now!" Said Ino.

"Hn. So, that Naruto is also participating with the exams. I wonder how strong he is." Mused Sasame.

"He's just an actor, Sasame-chan! I'm way stronger than him!" Boasted Kiba.

"Kiba, just because he's an actor it doesn't mean he's already weak. Remember Kakashi-sensei's words to look underneath the underneath. He could be very strong." Said Shino.

"It is by Fate for us to be fighting against each other in the battlefield. This time, I will be sure to avenge my father." Neji said as he stared at Hinata's back.

"Troublesome." Muttered Shikamaru.

Choji didn't say anything as he was too busy eating barbecue while the others weren't looking.

 **Unknown Location**

"The eight remaining jinchuurikis will be gathering at Konoha. Once the exams are over, we will attack them while they are still recovering after the fighting. Here are your assigned targets." The masked man said as he gave his followers folders.

"Understood, Madara-sama."

"Zetsu, how's our army?"

"In two weeks, they will be ready Madara-sama. I'm already modifying their bodies to be able to fight and think strategies."

"Good. Soon, the Fourth Shinobi War will begin."

 **Chapter Seventeen End**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **1\. As promised, I will be changing the mechanics of the chuunin exams so it won't be cliche. I already have an idea for the first and third part of the exam. I'm still deciding about the second. I'm open to suggestions.**

 **2\. Review, follow, and favorite for updates. Thanks a lot for waiting patiently and staying with me up to this chapter.**


	18. Chapter 18: Intelligence Gathering

**Early Author's Notes:**

 **1\. Credits to Mikey (Guest) about the live broadcast idea.**

 **2\. Chapter 1 has been edited. I've made it less cringey. Paragraphs have been cut and shortened for easier reading. Grammatical and punctuation mistakes have been corrected as well.**

 **Disclaimer: No proctors were harmed during the first part of the exam. They were clones of variations contributed by sponsors and other villages. They were shadow, earth, water, mud, and bug clones, while some used logs for kawarimi.**

 **Chapter Eighteen: Intelligence Gathering**

 **One Week Later (One week before first part of the exam)**

 **Konohagakure no Sato**

 **Hokage Office**

"Hokage-sama, all representatives from other countries who will be judging have just arrived and are now complete. They are now being escorted to their respective hotel rooms." A chuunin said as he entered the office. With him were three more chuunins.

"Good. Please deliver these papers to their rooms. One envelope for each judge." Hiruzen replied as he motioned at the four three-foot tall stacks of envelopes.

The envelopes contained the grading sheets, which will be used by the panelists as they judge each candidate while watching the exams. These delegates came from various countries outside Fire country. They will be the ones judging the chuunin hopefuls for the first and second part of the exam. At the final part, they will be handing their reports over to their respective daimyos as the daimyos will be the ones to judge during the finals.

Since the event is being broadcast, it will be easier for everyone to see and judge the competitors' skills. Whether the examinees make it to the finals, which will be a tournament, doesn't actually matter since they might still get promoted if they have showed the skills a chuunin must have during the first and second part of the exam.

 **Yakushi Residence (Underground Location)**

"The communication seals should last for a month. I'll renew it before the third part of the exam. _Now, raise your hands if you can hear me."_ Naruto said, talking the last part using the mental link.

The teams from Uzushio, Suna, and Sound raised their hands as they heard Naruto's voice.

 _"Alright. Try communicating with your teammates and the other teams."_ Naruto ordered.

After some time, they finally finished testing and were all good to go. While they were doing this, Naruto of course provided the clones and henged them as the others while their teams met as they cannot risk being caught missing.

"Alright. Now that's taken care of, I would like to remind the students and their jounin senseis to remind their students about the exam. Since it will be broadcast, we cannot use jutsus our countries or clans consider unique and original, as there is the huge risk of other countries copying it." Began Miho.

"Suna of course will mostly be using wind jutsus and puppetry, as it is their expertise. I would like to remind them and especially Gaara's team to only use common wind jutsus, while the Sound teams will be mainly using Sound techniques which will be quite difficult to copy. Although I would like to advise them to keep the process of casting them subtle. Those from Uzushio will have no problem since our jutsus are not meant for normal people as our chakra reserves are high." Said Mio.

"Furthermore, I'm sure you have all trained to perform jutsus with reduced seals, one-handed seals, or seal-less seals while at Uzu. Being able to having this skill is critical in order to prevent jutsu theft. Other than that, there will be no problems if you're using your kekkei genkai as it is not possible to copy." Finished Utakata.

"Are we all clear?"

"Hai!" Replied all.

"Good. I will be transporting you back to your respective hotel rooms and dispel your clones." Said Naruto as he produced Uzumaki Clones.

As the teams left, the Uzukage's children remained behind.

"Kabuto-nii, Nono-chan."

"Orders from the Uzukage?"

"Yeah. We need the new schedule for the guard shifts and patrols. They changed it today, correct? The base seals needs to be written around the village and on the walls within this week. Can I have it before midnight?"

"Alright. We'll work on it. We'll see you later."

 **Time Skip – (One Week) Chunin Exams Opening**

 **Commentator's Box**

"Greetings to everyone participating and watching the exams here or via streaming. I am Kamizuki Izumo" – "and I am Hagane Kotetsu" – "and we are… The Immortal Chuunins! And will be the hosts for this year's chuunin exams and first ever live telecast!"

"And since this is the first ever live telecast chuunin exams, almost every ninja village have sent teams to represent their home!"

"You're right partner, this year, there are a total number of ninety-six teams who are participating!"

"Wow, that's two hundred and eighty-eight genin hopefuls!"

"Let us now see what's going on in the stadium as Morino Ibiki gives his introductions before the event starts."

 **Stadium**

"Right! As everyone know, or if you're not yet aware, the chuunin exams was made after the war. The chuunin exams is not just an event where Genin participate in order to achieve the rank of Chunin. This exam is also an alternative for war."

"While we consider this a tournament, this is an alternative for war. And so that means you brats can go murder each other to your hearts content without hurting the other villages feelings!" Ibiki finished as he started laughing evilly. "Great. You all hear me? That's enough introductions! Time for the first part of the exam!"

As he said it, a war horn blasted a deep and long sound, signaling the start of the event.

"You!" Ibiki shouted, pointing at the genin teams. "I am your Kage. And our country is now at war. The enemy has vital information and weapon that can be used against us. Your primary task is to infiltrate the enemy camp, identify the item, and bring it back to our base. Your secondary task is to gather information about everything in their base. Intelligence reports that we have five days before enemy reinforcements arrive and finally launch an attack. Failure to complete the mission puts our side at risk, giving us a high chance of getting slaughtered."

Ibiki indicated to a glass bowl that contained scrolls. The scrolls contained the mission details and a random item that the team shall retrieve. Ibiki then shunshinned away from the stadium and went to the spectator's seats. The teams took this as a cue and so a representative for each team picked a scroll.

 **Teams' POV**

 _"Hmmm, so this exam's a war simulation. Interesting."_ Naruto thought as he picked a scroll. He returned to his team and together, they read the scroll's contents.

 _"Objective: From the stadium, head to the Hokage Mountain where the 'enemy camp' is located. Once you have the item and the intel, head towards the Forest of Death and find a safe spot that will serve as your camp. Once there, the retrieved item will turn into a scroll that contains information about the second part of the exam._

 _Time Limit: Five Days_

 _Quest Item (Random for each team): Three-pronged kunai."_

Naruto nodded to his teammates and began heading towards the Hokage Mountain. The other teams doing the same soon as they finished reading their scroll.

 **Judges' POV**

Each judge was given papers so they could grade the participants. The papers also contained more information about the exam. The judges began reviewing the grading sheets as the exam participants headed towards their first destination.

 _"Chuunin Exams Part One_

 _Skills to be graded: Espionage, Infiltration, Assassination, Retrieval, Escape_

 _Objective: Each team is assigned an item to retrieve. The item is located inside a fortress filled with enemy nins and numerous traps. The fortress has numerous rooms. The teams must locate and retrieve their assigned item within five days, while also gathering information._

 _Maximum Time Limit: Five Days_

 _Grading Sheet –_

 _Team Name:_

 _Team Members:_

 _Espionage:_

 _Infiltration:_

 _Assassination:_

 _Retrieval:_

 _Escape:_

 _Espionage –_

 _Correct number of enemy nins in the base:_

 _Correct number of enemy nins per rank:_

 _Estimated number of traps:_

 _Trap locations:_

 _Base Weaknesses:_

 _Base Strengths:_

 _Camp outline:_

 _Team's Overall Rating:_

 _Individual's Overall Rating:_

 _Remarks:"_

 **Normal POV**

 **Commentator's Box**

"And there our contestants go!" Izumo said.

"Day One: Ninety-six teams! Now this is an interesting start! We'll see later which teams will advance to the second part!" Said Kotetsu.

"Very interesting indeed! Viewers, let us show you what the teams' scroll says so you'll have an idea what exactly they are supposed to do." Izumo said as he motioned at the cameraman to focus on a scroll he opened similar to the ones the teams picked.

"As you can see, those teams who will fail to retrieve their assigned items are automatically disqualified at the exams since they will need that item in order to proceed to the second part." Said Kotetsu.

 **Teams' POV**

 **Uzu, Sound, and Suna Teams**

 _"Alright. Did everyone understand the unspoken objective? There was a double meaning."_ Said Naruto through the mental link as he and his team ran towards the Hokage Mountain.

 _"Which one, senpai?"_ Asked Zaku.

 _"Intelligence gathering. The obvious one was gathering intel from the base at the mountain. The unspoken and hidden objective was to gather intel from the other teams. This is only the first part of the exam, on the second or third part teams will have to face one another in order to advance. Which is why we need to gather intel. We were given five days to complete the mission. This isn't just about being fast to retrieve the said item."_

 _"Well said senpai."_ Said Dosu.

 _"Team dojutsu, any intel about the Hokage Mountain?"_ Asked Fu.

 _"We only know that the Hokage's heads were carved there. Aside from that, I've got none."_ Said Sasuke.

 _"I used to stay at the heads but I've never noticed other things on top of the mountain." Said Naruto._

 _"We're getting near. Let me check… **Byakugan!** " _

The teams remained quiet and waited for Hinata's report as they started climbing the mountain. Around them were the other teams from the other villages also trying to scale the terrain. After a while, Hinata spoke again.

 _"From what I can tell the buildings here are new. Most likely built for the exams. Tread carefully now. I see a lot of traps. The safe places where we could make camp and observe the other teams are the forests behind the building, around two hundred meters away."_

 _"Right. Thanks Hinata-chan. Everyone, head to the said location and make camp. Secure the perimeter."_

 **Konoha Teams**

While the teams from the three villages were working together, the Konoha teams have decided to work on their own.

Team Seven was the first to arrive at the location, followed by Team Nine. Last to arrive was Team Ten as Shikamaru thought the exam was too troublesome while Chouji followed his lead while eating chips.

 **Team Seven**

"Ha! We arrived first! We beat them!" Yelled Kiba.

"Shut-up mutt. We're supposed to spy here, not announce our presence." Said Sasame.

"Who you calling mutt, you red eyed freak?"

"Kiba, shut up. Sasame is right. We need to keep low." Said Shino.

Akamaru barked in agreement, making his master become serious. They used their noses and began to sniff the air around them as they secured their location. Shino raised his arms as swarms of bugs came from his jacket, flying towards the building to scout. Sasame once again opened their scroll and reviewed it.

"Right. The place is covered by layers of genjutsus. I see a lot of traps. Also, inside the buildings, there are also genjutsus in each room. Our mission item is a tonfa. Shino, have your bugs look for it. I believe there are multiple tonfas here but only one is real." Said Sasame, her fully matured Sharingan spinning.

"We'll scout for today and tomorrow. We'll take the tonfa on the third day. Shino, have your bugs check the perimeter around us first. See if we can camp here."

 **Team Nine**

 **"Byakugan!"**

"Neji-kun, what do you see?" Asked Sakura in a very girlish manner.

"A building. And a lot of traps." Neji replied dramatically.

"Wow, gee, thanks Captain Obvious." Replied Tenten, annoyed. "Our item is a tantou, can you see it?"

"Of course, I can! The Byakugan is a strong dojutsu. It has a three hundred and sixty-degree vision which the Uchiha doesn't have."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Just tell us the plan."

"Right." Neji nodded as he closed his eyes and folded his arms. "The building is full of traps as well as 'enemy nins'. There are at least fifty jounin level nin, a hundred and fifty chuunin, and about three hundred genin level. The genins, or low level ones, I believe are only clones created by those with higher chakra levels. There is an item for each floor. I cannot tell which one the original is. I will have to be closer. For now, you two take down notes as I dictate details about the place. We will take the tantou later after some teams have decided to attack and dispelled about fifty of the clones."

"Alright." Sighed Tenten.

"A great plan, Neji-kun!" Squealed Sakura.

 _"Yeah, I'm such a genius."_ Neji proudly thought to himself.

 **Team Ten**

"Alright, here's the plan." Began Shikamaru. "We'll gather intel today and the next day. On the third day, we'll retrieve the chakram and head to the forest. We'll let the impatient teams rush on and activate some of the traps while also defeating proctors. That will lessen our problems once we make a go for our target."

"We'll set up camp here."

"Ino, there's a chuunin nearby. I'm going to trap her with my shadow. You possess her once she's immobile. Then you go snooping around for some intel."

"This will be the routine; you possess a chuunin and gather intel. After four hours, you make the chuunin return here with the intel while Chouji gets rid of the chuunin. You'll have an hourly interval so you could rest before you possess another chuunin. Here she comes…"

 **"Kagemane no Jutsu! (Shadow Possession Technique!)"**

 **"Shintenshin no Jutsu! (Mind Transfer Technique!)"**

 **Team Eight**

Sai along with Foo and Torune have already acquired their target item, which was a sealing brush. Being one of the elite ROOT ANBU has its perks.

The three discreetly created clones and had them act like they weren't done with the mission yet. The real them went to a place where cameras had a blind spot and sent intel to Naruto's team.

 **Uzu and Co.'s POV**

 _"We have a problem. I sense a total of four hundred and sixty-nine chakra signatures, while about two hundred are clones. What if there were more ealier? We're supposed to add even the number of clones."_ Said Karin.

 _"Don't worry, Karin-chan. We got that covered."_ Naruto said. _"Speaking of intel, here it is." He_ informed the others as an ink mouse discreetly approached him from the bushes and transformed into a scroll.

 **Normal POV**

 **Jounin Sensei's Lounge**

"What is this? There are clones. How are the genins supposed to know the actual number of the people stationed there as well as their original number before the clones got dispelled?" One jounin sensei from Taki said.

"Don't worry about that. Even if they don't get the correct info about the base they could still move forward to the second part as long as they have the item they're supposed to retrieve. The intel was just a bonus." Ibiki informed them.

 _"Heh. So Naru-chan got it right. There was a hidden objective. The true meaning of the second objective was to gather intelligence from the other teams."_ Thought Miho.

Mio, Utakata, Baki, and Kimimaro simply smiled at Miho's comment, also proud of the boy.

 **Exam First Part – Second Day**

 **Teams' POV**

 **Uzu Team and Co.**

 _"Whose team is near a Kumo team?"_ Asked Naruto.

 _"My team."_ Said Fu.

 _"They're forty-two meters south from our position. One of them has very large chakra reserves."_ Said Karin.

 _"It's her team then, good. Keep an extra eye out for them. The blonde girl, Nii Yugito, is the Jinchuuriki of the Nibi."_

 _"Roger that, Naruto-senpai!" Said Lee._

 _"Good. Aside from the Nibi Jinchuuriki's Team, we'll also look out for the Hachibi Jinchuuriki's genin team. One of them's a guy with a lollipop, next is a girl with a flat chest, the last is another girl but with huge chests."_

 _"Wow, of all the description you could provide, you go with their chests."_ Said Sasuke, making everyone laugh.

 _"Ah, well, it's noticeable. Anyway, another team to watch out for is the Tsuchikage's granddaughter. They're actually jounin."_

 _"Another one is the Taki team. Waterfall only sent one. But intelligence believe that the members brought Hero's Water."_

 _"But they will die! What the hell were they thinking?"_ Asked Fu.

 _"Oh. Right… Well, it would only seem that they still do not know that only Jinchuuriki can drink it without dying. Unless they've sent jinchuurikis, which I highly doubt."_

 _"They may not use it yet. Probably in the finals. So, we'll watch out for them still."_

 _"Next that we need to watch out for is the team from Kiri. Look out for the guy with the bandaged sword. He and his team should be strong since they're already high chuunin back in their village. Apprently, Mist have forged a new Hiramekarei for the kid named Chojuro. He was an apprentice of the original Seven Swordsmen."_

 _"Lastly, of course, is Konoha's Rookie Nine. While some of them are dumb, they'll most likely make it to the second part. Their senseis were elite jounin after all."_

 _"Aside from the said teams, the rest are cannon fodder. They're nobodies. Feel free to murder them. But those I mentioned will have to be killed by us during the final part of the exam."_

 **Commentator's Box**

"Good day everyone and welcome to the second day of the chunin exam's first part!" Said Izumo.

"Here is a recap of yesterday's events…" Trailed off Kotetsu.

"Fifteen teams have already been eliminated due to them being unable to continue after triggering and falling victim to the area's numerous traps."

"That leaves us eighty-one teams!"

"Wow, almost a sixth have already been out on the first day!"

"Yes, and now back to the exams!"

 **Team Ten's POV**

"Choji, wake up. Ino's back." Drawled Shikamaru as the body of the chuunin Ino possessed walked towards them carrying a scroll.

"What's that?"

"The intel we needed to get." Replied Ino with the voice of the chuunin she was possessing. "I managed to take one from their office. It wasn't guarded, really. There were ninety-five other scrolls similar to it laying on the huge desk, I made a count. It is similar to the number of teams participating in the exams. Here, take it."

Shikamaru nodded as caught the chuunin's shadow and made him give the scroll to Ino as she returned to her body.

"Choji, you're up."

"Right!" **"Nikudan Sensha! (Human Bullet Tank!)"**

The chuunin literally turned into mush as Chouji hit him.

"A mud clone, huh? Troublesome. Anyway, great work, Ino. Rest for now. Later, begin looking for the chakram. We'll retrieve it tomorrow."

 _"Hmm, if the intel about this place was already provided, then what was the point of having us gather intel? Troublesome."_

 **Uzu Team and Co.**

 _"Update."_ Said Tayuya.

 _"What is it?"_

 _"Konoha's Ino-Shika-Cho's made a discovery about the intel here." Said Shion. "I had a vision for their team. I saw the possessed chuunin take a scroll from the ninety-six laid on the desk. Upon further inspection, it appeared to be the intel for this place."_

 _"Hmm, so I was right then. The actual intelligence gathering was to be from the opposing teams, not the place."_

 _"Anyway, listen up, everyone. We'll have to take the intel scroll, but we'll keep what we have already. We don't want people getting suspicious about us. Just pretend that we do not know about it and act surprised when we find the intel scroll. We'll make our move once the teams we're watching have taken their items. If they ask why we have two, we tell them the one was already given while the other intel we have gathered ourselves was more reliable than the given, since it could contain false intel anyway."_

 _"Got it."_

 **Exam First Part – Third Day**

 **Commentator's Box**

"Good morning world!" Said Kotetsu.

"Here's yesterday's recap…" Said Izumo. "Thirteen more teams have been eliminated."

"And so that leaves us sixty-eight teams."

"Now, back with the contestants!"

 **Team Seven**

"My bugs have found a room with more than eighty scrolls with similar content. It has the intel we need about this facility. The office had no guards nor traps. It appears that we were meant to have it." Said Shino.

"Ha! That's good!" Exclaimed Kiba.

"Okay, we'll take that first. And then we go looking for the tonfa." Said Sasame.

"I wonder, why was the scrolls easy to find and unguarded while the item the teams needed are heavily protected." Mused Shino.

"Never mind that, let's get that tonfa so we could proceed to the forest already!" Said Kiba impatiently.

 **Team Nine**

"Neji, if you're done being full of yourself, let's get a move on and retrieve that tantou already." Said Tenten.

Neji was currently leaning against a tree with his eyes closed.

"Fate has decreed that I, the magnificent Hyuuga-sama, will defeat the Uchiha by retrieving the item before she does. It is by Fate that I will win this tournament." Said Neji as he opened his eyes and began walking towards the facility, his Byakugan activated.

"Amen." Said Sakura while nodding solemnly. She strongly believed that her crush was a Prophet of Fate. And so her feelings towards Neji grew stronger.

Tenten simply rolled her eyes as she followed after her teammates and reminded them about the intel scroll that Neji happened to notice last night while scouting.

 **Jounin Sensei's Lounge**

"And you called the Hyuuga a genius?" Asked by one Iwa jounin.

"I only see a sexually confused boy with a long pole stuck up his arse." Said a Kumo jounin.

"My student has yet to show his youthfulness! Don't worry!" Exclaimed Gai as he gave the two senseis the thumbs up with his teeth flashing.

 **Team Uzu and Co.**

 _"Konoha's Team Seven is on the move."_ Said Gaara.

 _"Team Nine is also on the move."_ Said Dosu.

 _"Team Ten as well."_ Said Tayuya.

 _"Yugito's team is also on the move."_ Said Fu.

 _"Kurotsuchi's team as well."_ Said Naruto.

 _"Let us not forget the team whose one member's gifted with huge breasts, as Naruto said."_

 _"Fuck off, Sasuke."_

 _"Taki's Team is also moving." Sakon and Ukon said._

 _"The Kiri team appears to be nervous. I can sense it from their chakra flow." Karin said._

 _"Alright, Hinata, do it."_

 _"Right. This will make you guys a bit dizzy at first… Get ready."_

 ** _"Byakugan: Shared Vision!"_**

Thanks to her Tenseigan, Hinata can now share what she sees with her Byakugan to others. The seal that made them talk to each other made the connection easier and more stable as normally Hinata would need to have physical contact first to the person she'll be sharing vision with.

The technique had two abilities. The first one allows the user to share what she sees while the second ability grants other people to use the Byakugan.

 _"Fu, your turn. Release your bugs."_

 _"Got it. Let's go, Chomei!"_

Millions of tiny bugs flew towards the building and entered. The bugs had the ability to share everything they hear. Simply put, it worked like a wireless radio with Fu being the main satellite. The technique will then allow their teams to hear everything inside the facility. It was a good combination with the Byakugan's shared vision.

 **Team Seven**

Team Seven came out of their hiding spot and approached the nearest entrance. The building had multiple openings so teams wouldn't cram themselves on a single door.

As they got inside, they immediately found themselves surrounded by two chuunin squads. Sasame immediately started with the handseals for a jutsu.

 **"Katon: Gokakyou no Jutsu! (Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!)"**

The chuunins jumped away but the two in the middle got caught by the great fireball.

The six remaining chuunins created distance as they began throwing kunai at the genin.

Shino raised his arms as his swarm got in front and protected them from harm.

The chuunins then changed tactics and began throwing kunai, this time with explosive tags.

Shino dispersed his swarm and let Sasame in front to destroy the incoming projectiles.

 **"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"**

The small fireballs met the projectiles in midway and caused them to detonate. Smoke filled the area for a few moments, giving Kiba and Akamaru the chance to strike while the chuunins were blinded.

 **"Gatsuga! (Fang Passing Fang!)"**

Four of them got hit by the cyclones while the remaining two were finished off by Sasame and Shino.

Their way now cleared, they ran the hallways and noticed the doors for each room were labelled with the item they needed to acquire. They stopped when they saw the door labeled 'tonfa'.

Sasame nodded to Shino as he ordered his bugs to open the door. They cleared out of the way as the bugs opened it. A volley of kunai immediately shot off from the room and pinned the opposite wall.

Shino had his bugs look for more traps. Finding none, the team went inside. In there was the tonfa on top of a pedestal.

"There's a genjutsu here. Be alert." Said Sasame.

 **"Kai."** Sharingan activated, the genjutsu was released, revealing an empty pedestal.

"Let's go check the other floors." Said Sasame as she and her team walked out of the room. They were on the ground floor. The building had thirteen floors in total.

"Shino." Called Sasame as they were halfway to the second floor.

The Aburame understood and had his bugs look for the room with the tonfa while also watching out for more proctor nins defending the base.

Team seven waited at the stairs while Shino made a quick sweep of the floor. After a while, the swarm returned.

"There are about thirty chuunins in this room but are currently occupied, fighting the other teams. Near the tonfa room, there are two chuunins on the alert."

"Alright. Since you're the stealthy one in the team, assassinate them."

Shino simply nodded as he sent out two bugs. The bugs entered the two chuunins' ear and went to their brains. After a few minutes, the guards dropped to the ground, dead.

With them dead, the genins quickly rushed to the door labeled tonfa. Like what they did on the first floor, Shino had his bugs open the door while they cleared out of the way. This time, however, instead of a kunai shooting off, a mechanism activated causing the wall opposite the door collapsing towards the genin.

The genin had no choice but to enter the room to keep themselves from getting flattened. The door of the room automatically closed and then there was a low rumbling sound.

With her Sharingan activated, Sasame quickly realized that the room was shrinking.

"Shit! Kiba, you're on!"

"Right! Let's go, Akamaru!"

 **"Gatsuga!"**

The partners spun and hit the wall, causing cracks to appear on it, but did not break.

They repeated the process two more times until the wall finally crumbled. Team seven quickly got out before they were crushed by the now smaller room.

"Third floor. Let's go." Sasame said after they regained composure.

They encountered no proctors and didn't activate any traps while at the third floor. They quickly found the room that had the label tonfa on it.

They got ready for another trap as they opened the door.

Inside the room was a single jounin guarding the room. Behind him was a pedestal with a tonfa on top.

Shino couldn't sense any traps and Sasame found no genjutsu.

"I'll deal with him." Sasame said as her eyes morphed into a four-pointed star.

 **"Tsukuyomi."**

Two seconds later the jounin dropped to ground drooling. Moments later its body turned into a puddle of water.

"Go retrieve the tonfa." Said Sasame as she dropped on one knee.

"Sasame, you alright? You went overkill with that water clone." Asked Shino.

"Yeah, don't worry about me. I'm not yet used with this technique, as this is my first time using it. But I'll be fine after some rest. I'll have my rest once we reach the forest." She said as she wiped her bleeding eyes.

"Wow, I didn't know the Sharingan had another level after the three tomoes." Said Kiba as he gave the tonfa to Shino for safekeeping.

"Hn, did you say something Kiba?"

 **Jounin Sensei's Lounge**

"Damn you Kakashi and your hip attitude!" Screamed Gai.

 **Uchiha Compound – Theater Room**

"Fugaku-kun, why wasn't I told about this? How come Sasame-chan has the Mangekyou?" Asked Mikoto.

"I would like to know as well." Said Itachi.

Shisui, who was seating near them, listened.

"To be honest, Jiraiya, Sasame, and I only found out about it a day before the exams started." Started Fugaku. "I had Jiraiya make her befriend someone during their three-month training. After that, Jiraiya orchestrated a situation to where Sasame had to kill that friend. However, we were disappointed when she didn't awaken the Mangekyou."

"Two nights before the exams started, I found Sasame butchering a training dummy. When I asked what got her so riled up, she told me it was because of that failure (Sasuke) joining the exams. She told me that she wanted to destroy him with many people watching. It was at that moment I noticed her Sharingan looking different. It would seem that her Mangekyou's awakening had been delayed. But that is no longer a problem."

"As for her knowing the Tsukuyomi, remember that every Uchiha who have awakened their Mangekyou automatically knows about the techniques. They hear a whisper of the name while they subconsciously understand how it works and use it.

 **Uzu Team and Co.**

 _"Interesting, so she has the Mangekyou. It appears that she's only awakened it recently."_ Said Sasuke.

 **Team Nine**

Team Nine encountered the same traps as team seven on the first and second floors. On the third floor, they had to escape another fake room with a wasp hive.

Tenten had to quickly summon a scroll full of senbons in order to repel the incoming swarm. Sakura helped by throwing explosive tags at the swarm and finally, Neji put down the remaining ones by tapping them with chakra-imbued fingers.

As they reached the fourth floor, they were immediately engaged into battle by six high genin proctors.

Tenten let out a widespread barrage of kunai, senbon, and other pointy objects, completely pelting two of the opponents and dispelling them.

Sakura took care of the other two by bonking them on the head. It was a special taijutsu move of hers. It looked like a simple smack on the head but in fact it was actually deadly. She had years of practice by hitting her classmates at the academy. She was a violent fangirl. Her bullying punches became dangerous when she started training under Maito Gai.

Neji easily danced around the remaining two, closing off their tenketsu points and then finally giving them a tap in the nape, making them drop dead.

Team nine proceeded searching the hallways until they found the room labeled tantou. When they opened it, they were greeted by three purple constrictors.

Neji and Tenten were able to fend off and eventually defeat theirs, dispelling into puffs of smoke. They were obviously summons. Their final member was unfortunate as she was too shocked. The boa was already wrapping her body and will soon begin constricting her.

 **Dango Shop**

In a dango shop, a certain recently promoted tokubetsu jounin was cackling with glee as she watched the pink haired genin get eaten by her summon. Her jounin peers who were also watching at the dango shop simply shook their heads in pity of Sakura. All jounins with summoning contracts have been asked to help provide them for the tower's fourth floor. Team nine simply had the luck of having to face Mitarashi Anko's snake summons.

 **Back to Team Nine**

Neji frantically began tapping the constrictor to free his loyal follower. It wouldn't be good if he lost Sakura. She was the only one putting up with his weird attitude.

As the boa poofed back to the summoning world, Neji crossed his arms, closing his eyes, and nodded to himself. He was such a hero.

"That was most youthful. Thank you, Neji-kun." Said Sakura.

"Fate has decreed that I saved you today."

"Alright you two, let's head to the next floor." Interrupted Tenten. If she didn't, the two would have definitely began spouting about fate and the springtime of youth.

As the team reached the fifth floor, it felt eerily quiet.

Weird.

There were no proctors nor traps, Neji already told them.

"See, Fate has decreed that we find the tonfa on the fifth floor. There are no guards. Nor any traps and genjutsus. This is it."

"Neji, I don't think fate has anything to do with this. There's something off on this floor. We need to skip to the sixth floor." Said Tenten.

Even Sakura felt unnerved. "Yeah, let's skip this floor."

"No. If there's something wrong, we still need to figure it out. We are shinobi. We'll just need to be careful." Insisted Neji.

"Yeah, we'll be careful." Agreed Sakura.

They reached the room labeled tantou and saw the item on top of a pedestal. They double-checked their surroundings for anything suspicious. Finding none, Sakura grabbed the tantou.

"See? Fate has decreed that we find it. And now we-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Neji screamed as the tantou and the floor of the room vanished without a sound. All members of team nine screamed as they fell from the fifth floor. At the bottom, thankfully was a sea of haystack high enough to cushion their fall.

After quickly gathering themselves, they heard screaming and turned their heads in time to watch as another team fall down from a different hatch.

It took them an hour and another thirty minutes to finally reach the sixth floor. Team nine had to avoid conflict now and needed to save energy.

Upon finally reaching the room, team nine knew they were on the correct floor this time now. There were no other traps but there was a jounin guarding the tantou.

"It is by Fate that my team acquire the tantou. Give up now." Neji told the jounin who was guarding it.

Tenten would normally roll her eyes but this time she took out all her scrolls and prepared for battle. Sakura also got ready to use her family jutsu. All three of them were still irritated by the sudden fall.

"Let me show you the power of youth…" Neji said as he went to a stance.

 **Jounin Sensei's Lounge**

"Ahh, there it is! Watch as my youthful student shine with the glorious fires of youth!" Screamed guy as he had the Iwa and Kumo jounins in a headlock.

 **Back to Team Nine**

"There is no escape. You're trapped with us in this room." Said Tenten as she opened her scrolls and threw them.

 **"Ninja Art: Trapping Chain Balls!"**

Multiple chains with heavy balls attached to it launched towards the jounin. Since they were in a special kind of room, the jounin wasn't able to shunshin or kawarimi and got hit by the chains. He was able to deflect and evade the incoming projectiles for the first three minutes but eventually got overwhelmed as Tenten's weapon supply seemed infinite.

While the jounin was busy untangling himself, Neji got behind him.

"You are within my range of youthful divination." Proclaimed Neji.

 **"Jukenho: Hakke Rokujuuyon Shou (Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms)**

As the jounin lay on the ground writhing in pain after having his chakra points closed, the last member of the team stood in front of him.

"Finish him!"

 **"Banshee Art: Banshee Princess!"**

Sakura let out an ear-piercing wail and directed it towards the poor jounin. The victim's ear drums popped due to the high-pitched waves of sound and later on began bleeding. The jounin let out a grunt before he fell unconscious. Moments later, the jounin turned into a rock.

Finally claiming their prize, team nine escaped the tower and headed to the forest.

 **Jounin Sensei's Lounge**

"What the hell was that?!" Exclaimed Kurenai.

"It was the Haruno family jutsu… The Banshee Arts." Gai began explaning. For once, he talked normally. "It was developed by her mother and was later completed by Sakura. The Haruno style uses high-pitched waves of sound. The sounds can be infused with chakra which can be used later as a genjutsu. It can be also used as an offensive type ninjutsu like the one she just showed us."

"Interesting, her clan would have been a good addition to Otogakure if they weren't originally from Konoha." Said Kimimiro, getting the attention of the jounins. "You see, since we were named Sound Shinobi, our village uses sound as our primary weapon. What the Haruno did was similar to one of our techniques, which you will see later from my genins."

 **Team Ten**

Team ten didn't have much of a problem thanks to Shikamaru's plans. They simply chose to watch and observe the other teams enter rooms from the first to sixth floor. They found their chakram on the seventh floor.

They easily took care of the jounin with their family's combination attack.

 **Yugito's Team**

 ** _"Kitten, show them our power! Crush those Konoha nin and get that capsule!"_**

"Lili, Mimi, let's go get that capsule."

"Roger."

 **"Katon: Nezumi Kedama (Fire Style: Mouse Hairball)"**

 **"Lightning Style: Chain Lightning!"**

 **"Lightning Style: Lightning Flash!"**

Nine chuunin clones dropped to the ground as they were hit by the attack. The nibi jinchuuriki had her claws out and was literally tearing through the enemy lines as they charged towards the room where the capsule they were needed to take was located.

"Hmm, Lili, Mimi, you take the capsule and watch out for more traps. I'll handle the jounin guarding it." Said Yugito.

 **Team Samui**

Samui's team easily weaved their way towards their item which was a scarf. They didn't use any jutsus as they were good with their katanas. Their sensei, Killer Bee, was a kenjutsu master, after all.

"Why is this so easy?" Mused Omoi. "What if there's a trap for it being too easy? What if when we enter the room to where the scarf was located we get ambushed and never return to Kumo? What if-"

"Shut up Omoi!" Screamed Karui.

"Guys, bickering is not cool. We got the scarf. Let's head to the forest." Said Samui.

 **Kurotsuchi's Team**

Being a team of jounins, Kurotsuchi and her teammates easily retrieved their designated item which was a red pouch. They stormed the building after spying at the Konoha teams.

Only her and Yugito's team aside Naruto were able to grasp the hidden meaning about the said intelligence gathering. What they forgot to take into consideration was to spy at the Uzu, Oto, and Suna teams. They were too focused about the upcoming invasion.

 **Chojuro's Team**

Due to him having low self-esteem issues, he wasn't able to properly lead his team. And so, when they began to look after their assigned item, they were caught by multiple traps. At first, they were able to form a nice plan and bid their time. When they finally moved, all of them got too nervous. Now they were disqualified.

 **Uzu Team and Co.**

 _"Alright everyone, our watch has ended. Let's go get our assigned items and head towards the forest. We'll evaluate them later once we make camp for the exam's second part."_ Said Naruto.

The Uzu, Oto, and Suna teams simultaneously came out of their hiding places and infiltrated the facility, looking for their assigned item while silently assassinating people, be it proctors or other teams.

 **Normal POV**

The first part of the exam went on smoothly without problems. On the third day, seven teams have been disqualified. Five more at the fourth, and three at the last. There were now fifty-three teams left.

 **Uzushiogakure**

 **Main City**

 **Uzukage Office**

"Remember, you'll play the film at the first advertisement during the third part of the exam." Said Kushina.

The film they were going to show was in fact, Naruto's memories back when he was still in Konoha. Due to the wonders of sealing, they were able to extract and make a copy of his memories and placed it into a scroll. Later on, with the help of Goku's movie company they were able to convert it into a film. Now they just had to show the world of Konoha's treatment to Naruto.

The second one was the Sandaime's betrayal to the Uzumaki. The memory was extracted from a Kumo Jounin who was the Raikage's advisor during the Second Shinobi War.

"Understood, Uzukage-sama."

"Begin parsing with Konoha's satellite. Notify me when the controls have been overwritten."

 **Kumogakure**

 **Raikage's Office**

"You know, Kiri's still weak compared to our villages." Began Ohnoki.

"What are you trying to say?" Asked Ay.

"After the invasion, Kiri will have lesser numbers. We can invade it next."

"Hmm, it sounds tempting. I will think about it."

 **Chapter Eighteen End**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **1\. As you can see, Neji has a sort of a split personality. While he's an arrogant prick, he's also infected with the power of youth, due to him being Gai's student.**

 **2\. I would like to remind my readers that Lee can now perform ninjutsu after the operation done to him by Tsunade.**

 **3\. In the next chapter, there will be more action. This chapter was about intelligence gathering, after all. So there wasn't that much activities from Naruto and his team.**

 **4\. Also, you may have noticed that I only focused on Teams Seven and Nine but not Team Ten. That's because Neji and Sasame are the 'main stars' participating from Konoha.**

 **5\. I hope you guys liked my version of the chuunin exams.**

 **6\. Favorite, follow, and review. Thank you for patiently waiting!**

 **-JRL**


	19. Chapter 19: Survival

**Everyone: HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAY JRL!**

 **JRL: Awww, thanks. Here's my birthday treat for you people: Chapter 19, as well as weekly updates starting this day. THE SEMESTER IS FINALLY OVER! WE'RE BACK TO WEEKLY UPDATES HOORAY!**

 **Chapter Nineteen: Survival**

 **Konohagakure**

 **Chuunin Exams – End of First Part**

 **Commentator's Box**

"And this event is sponsored to us by…"

"Eight-Gatorades!"

"Ichiraku Ramen!"

"Echanted Dangos!"

"And powered by our telecast, Wave Telecoms!"

The screen then began flashing the advertisements. After the advertisements, the screen was now focused at the stadium.

 **Main Stadium**

All teams have been transported to the stadium via scroll. At the bottom were the genin teams who passed the first part. Ibiki was once again standing at the platform.

"I congratulate everyone who have made it to the second part." Began Ibiki.

"Now, let the Second Part of the Chuunin Exams… BEGIN!"

A loud horn blasted at the towers of the stadium, while fireworks erupted from the main stadium, signifying the beginning of the second exam.

"Listen well, and might as well memorize what I've got to say. As I will only say it once." The 'Kage' began. "You have managed to acquire the item necessary for our side to avoid casualties and escaped the enemy base along with the intel. However, the enemy camp has sent five teams to go after you and retrieve the item you've taken. Our intel reports that each enemy team were estimated to arrive between sunrise to three hours after sunrise. Your task is to survive until friendly reinforcements arrive to take you out of enemy territory, which is in five days."

"You may now open your mission scrolls." Ibiki ordered. "Once you've read your scroll, make sure you've memorized the objective before you close it. Once you close the scroll it will revert back to the item it was before, which you will need to protect."

 _"Hmm, let's see if you can figure this one out."_ Ibiki thought as he eyed the genin teams, more specifically, the Uzu, Suna, Oto, Kumo, and Iwa teams, as they were able to figure out the true purpose of the first part's test.

 **Genin Teams' POV**

 _"Objective: The intelligence you've acquired during the first part may be of use now as you fight for your exam item. Survive for five days until friendly reinforcements arrive to extract you from the forest. Expect to fight five or maybe more teams for your quest item. The actual first day begins tomorrow."_

"That's it?" Kiba voiced out loud. Many genins thought the same as they finished reading their scroll.

 **Normal POV**

 _"There's your hint, Inuzuka. 'Expect to fight five or maybe more teams for your quest item.' I believe your sensei Kakashi's told you the phrase, 'Look beneath the underneath' more than once."_ Ibiki thought as he simply stared at Kiba, not responding to his small outburst. The other hint was the first sentence of the objective, at least to those who understood the hidden objective of the exam.

After a few moments, the genin teams began poofing out of the stadium, and were sent back to the Forest of Death.

 **Commentator's Box**

"Now, I'm sure you're all confused." Whispered Izumo at the camera.

"Yeah, but don't worry, we're going to explain it to you viewers." Whispered Kotetsu.

"You know, the contestants cannot hear you, why are you whispering?" Whispered the cameraman.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Izumo and Kotetsu cleared their throats as the cameraman focused at the scroll Izumo was holding, which had the same content like the genin teams had.

"You see, the main point of the second part is survival. There will be three waves of 'enemies' who are in fact the proctors, to test the teams. The hidden message that they must figure before tomorrow sunrise, was for them to collect two more scrolls. Meaning, they will have to fight other teams."

"On the first day, a wave of genin-rank proctor teams will be attacking our contestants and they must survive, as is the point of this exam, while also protecting their mission item."

"On the second day, the teams must challenge another team and acquire their item."

"On the third day, another wave of genin-rank proctor teams will be attacking them."

"On the fourth day, this time, a wave of chuunin-rank proctor teams will be attacking the teams."

"On the fifth and last day, the teams must challenge other teams once again and take their exam item. If they weren't able to take one on the second day, then this is their last chance to acquire the said item."

"And since this is still an elimination round, genin teams may choose to take more than three scrolls with them. This is why Ibiki-san said that teams may be attacked more than five times. A team who acquires more than three scrolls will be given bonus points."

"Even if they don't, creatures residing in the forest may still attack them anyway. So, the contestants must be prepared."

"Here's a little background about the Forest of Death…"

 **Judges' Panel**

"Excuse me, my dear panelists, I would like to explain the second part of the exam, as our proctor's a bit cryptic with his words." Said the Hokage. Hiruzen then began explaining the main purpose and the hidden meaning behind Ibiki's given objective.

 _"Chuunin Exams Part Two_

 _Skills to be graded: Survival, Camp and Trap Making, Espionage, Infiltration, Assassination, Retrieval, and Escape_

 _Objective: Teams must survive three waves in the forest as well as other creatures residing within it. The teams have five days to retrieve two more mission items from the other teams while also defending theirs from both proctors and fellow contestants."_

 _Time Length of the Exam: Six Days (The actual waves start at the second day)_

 _Grading Sheet –_

 _Team Name:_

 _Team Members:_

 _Survival:_

 _Camp Making:_

 _Trap Making:_

 _Espionage:_

 _Infiltration:_

 _Assassination:_

 _Retrieval:_

 _Escape:_

 _Bonus: Extra number of scrolls_

 _Team's Overall Rating:_

 _Individual's Overall Rating:_

 _Remarks:"_

"I've always told my jounins to tell their genins to look beneath the underneath, although that was our Yondaime, Namikaze Minato's words… I hope our village's genins remember that." He murmured out loud, making some of the panelists nod.

 _"Even if they don't, Konoha will still make it to the finals thanks to Kurenai's team. It is a good thing I've planned it out. It doesn't matter in the end if other villages make it to the finals… those genins are no match for Elite Root ANBU."_

 **Forest of Death**

 **Uzu Team and Co.**

Naruto and his teammates were sent back to where they were earlier before they were summoned at the stadium.

 _"Listen everyone, we need to combine teams here. The bigger our number, the easier for us it will be to defend. Summon your partners so we could locate each other quickly. This forest is huge."_

 _"Got it."_

 **"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"**

The Uzushio, Oto, and Suna teams simultaneously said out loud and summoned their partners.

 **Jounin Sensei's Lounge**

"Summoning!" Kakashi gasped.

"And they did it simultaneously!" Said Asuma.

"It's not them doing it simultaneously… But for them to be able to summon creatures as big as those…!" Kurenai pointed at the screen.

"Yosh! Your genins' flames of youth roar up to the heavens! How glorious!" Gai shouted with enthusiasm at the Uzushio, Oto, and Suna jounin senseis.

 **Kumo and Iwa**

 **Yugito's Team**

 _"Nibi, I'm going to need your chakra. I have to make a flare to call the other teams."_

 ** _"You know you do not have to ask, Kitten."_**

"Lili, Mimi." Yugito called her teammates.

"Right." The two replied as they understood and made a distance away from Yugito.

Yugito started to get covered in blue demonic chakra as she set on fours. A few moments later, a huge pillar of blue flames could be seen from everywhere in the forest as it rose to the sky two hundred meters high.

 **Samui's Team**

"That's Yugito's flare. Let's go." Said Samui.

"Oh no, what if it is a trap? What if it's someone pretending to be Yugito so they could lure us and kill us? And then we won't be able to get back to Kumo! What would Raikage-sama say to our graves for falling into such obvious trap?" Said Omoi.

"Idiot! You're overthinking again!" Screamed Karui.

"Omoi, the Nibi's demonic chakra cannot be copied." Samui told her teammate patiently.

 **Kurotsuchi's Team**

"That's Yugito's chakra. Let's go."

 **Other Teams**

"What was that?"

 **Uzu and Co.**

 **"Naruto-sama, you summoned us?"**

"Yes, Otohime-sama. We are currently at the Chuunin Exams. The other teams have also summoned their partners. We need your help for us to easily find each other."

 **"Alright. Hop on."**

"Thank you."

Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata jumped on their summon's heads and steadied themselves as the dragons flew.

The dragons have a special ability that allows them to track their kin. They also have a mental link of their own, which is more advanced than the Uzumaki's.

A few minutes of flying later, Naruto's team met with the others on a clearing. The summons has chosen the spot specifically for their summoners to use. Naruto and the others couldn't disagree as they could see the spot the dragons chose was perfect.

The clearing was big enough for six teams to make camp. It was located at a high ground and has near access to a river, tree bearing fruits, big game, and other spare materials that can be used to make camp and traps.

 **"We'll take our leave, Naruto-sama."**

"Thank you. We'll call you again when we need your help." Naruto said as he and the others bowed at the dragons, with Naruto referring to the invasion.

With a huge puff of smoke, the dragons returned to Tera.

Naruto then turned at the teams.

"Alright. We'll set up camp here. Gaara, Dosu, Sakon and Ukon, you and your teams roam the area. Hunt some animals and gather fruits. The rest of us will make camp and set up defenses."

"Got it."

 **Konoha Teams**

 **Team Ten**

"This is troublesome, but, we'll have to find the other Rookies. The bigger our number, the easier it will be for us to defend." Said Shikamaru.

"Alright. How do you plan to locate them?"

Shikamaru didn't respond but instead took out a scroll and a pen from his pack and began writing. He signed it and asked her and Chouji to sign as well.

"There. We'll deliver this to them." Said Shikamaru.

"I'm going to capture that bird with my shadow." Shikamaru pointed to a bird that was perched on a tree nearby. "Once I have it locked, possess it with your jutsu."

"Got it."

 **Team Seven**

"Sasame. It will be more logical if we teamed up with the others. That way, it will be easier for us to defend once the waves begin." Shino said.

"Yeah. As much as I hate to admit it, we're going to need the Hyuuga and Shikamaru's teams' help."

 **Team Nine**

"Neji, admit it, we need the other Rookies' help." Said Tenten.

"Fate has declared that I make it to the finals…" Neji began.

At this point Tenten was ready to attack her teammate in annoyance.

"…and in order to do so, we will have to team up with Shikamaru's team as well as the Uchiha."

Sakura sighed in relief as she noticed Tenten about to shower Neji with weapons.

"Alright. Neji-kun, can you find them?" Asked Sakura.

"Of course, my Byakugan's flames of youth cannot be doused by this unyouthful forest."

 **"BYAKUGAN!"**

 **Commentator's Box**

"Interesting!" Exclaimed Izumo.

"Yeah! Most of the teams are grouping with the others!" Observed Kotetsu.

"This is going to be a battle royale once they finally realize that they need to take two more exam items from other teams."

Like the ones coming from the main villages, those from minor villages were also grouping with other teams. There were only thirteen teams that decided to go solo. The biggest group was Naruto's. Equal to their numbers was another group of six teams from minor villages. Next was Konoha's Teams Seven to Ten, equal to Yugito's group which consisted of her team, Samui's, Kurotsuchi's, and another Iwa team. Others were groups of threes and twos.

 **Uzu and Co.**

After placing the perimeter with barrier seals, the Uzu teams scattered and did one handed seals and the shortened version for their jutsu.

 **"Earth Style: Four Pillar House!"**

A three storey building rose from the ground and occupied the clearing. The building looked more like a fortress than a normal house. It had complete battlements and slits for defenders to snipe on. On top of the fortress were the three flags of Uzushio, Oto, and Suna.

The Uzu teams then began applying seals on the building. They created lots of traps and seals and finally covered them with triple layers of genjutsu.

When the Sand and Sound teams finally returned with the food, Naruto had them register to the barrier seals with their blood so they could enter without activating the traps.

To the outside, there wasn't a clearing anymore but trees. Inside the barrier were the multiple traps and finally, the fortress.

Naruto had everyone enter the base and gathered at the dining hall. The building had complete functioning areas as well as furniture.

"Alright. Those cameras can't see and hear us now…" Muttered Naruto as he started on hand seals.

 **"Wood Style: Underground Shelter."**

There was a low rumbling for about a minute before it finally died down.

At the left side of the fortress' main hall was a huge bookshelf. It wasn't an ordinary bookshelf as it turns out. It was the entrance to their underground shelter. The bookshelf also had a barrier seal and a blood recognizing seal.

As the already promoted chuunins had themselves registered at the seal, they prepared for lunch.

While they were eating, Naruto gave them his opinion about the second exam.

"Alright. This exam also has a hidden objective like the first. I am not yet sure what it is but I have a plan on knowing how…"

"We may be only on an exam but this exam is a simulation. And to be exact, a war simulation. In times of war, a side has to capture someone from the opposing side and interrogate them for information."

"So you're planning to capture and interrogate those proctors who will be attacking us tomorrow." Said Dosu.

"Correct."

"But how?" Asked Kankuro. "I mean, they're clones… How do we interrogate them? They could just dispel themselves."

"Good question." Said Naruto. "Seals."

"Seals…?" Zaku wondered.

"The Uzumaki are natural masters of fuinjutsu. We can create whatever the hell kind of seal we want. And we exactly have a seal for clones to keep them from dispelling themselves."

"Aah, that seal." Murmured Karin.

"Yes. We'll add that seal to our existing traps."

"Here's what we're going to do for the rest of the afternoon…"

"Sakon and Ukon, Dosu, Gaara, and Tayuya's team will do reconnaissance. Go and find the other teams or groups of teams' camps. Make sure they do not detect your presence. Plant a marker near their camps and leave." Naruto said as he handed each team half a dozen Hiraishin kunais.

Everyone nodded and went back up to the fortress and exited the building, once again, they were visible to the cameras.

 **Konoha Rookie Nine**

"So, a team up, huh?" Sasame said. Although her statement was more directed towards Neji.

"Fate has declared that even we rivals have to team up in order to advance to the next round."

"As troublesome as it is, we're going to need each other's help. That way, we could easily defend our items and watch each other's backs. And besides, we've already combined our team efforts before we even entered the exam. It will be less troublesome for all of us." Said Shikamaru.

"Alright. So we're setting up camp here?" Tenten asked the Nara.

"Yes. This clearing is enough for us to make camp and traps. And besides, it will be too troublesome if we left to look for another spot to set up camp."

"Everything is too troublesome for you anyway." Said Ino.

"Troublesome."

As the Rookie Nine began setting up, Dosu's team left the spot they were hiding at after safely hiding the marker. They weren't noticed since they were out of range of Neji's Byakugan, Shino's insects, and Kiba and Akamaru's noses.

Although far, they were able to hear their conversations using a Sound jutsu specifically created for eavesdropping. It would appear that none of Konoha Rookie Nine have figured out about the first part of the exam's hidden and true purpose yet, while also not realizing that the second part of the exam has another hidden objective.

 **Land of Iron**

While the exam was ongoing, all Daimyos and Kages except those from Waterfall, Fire, Earth, Water, and Lightning countries were gathered at the Land of the Samurai, a neutral country.

"As the Leader of this Country, I welcome you all, Daimyos, Kages, confidants, and companions. We are here with the request of Whirlpool Country's Leader." Began Mifune.

The leaders were expecting to see Nagato or Tazuna, but in front of them stood someone who they knew long dead.

"Greetings, everyone. I am Uzumaki-Namikaze Kushina, Uzukage and Daimyo of Whirlpool Country."

Everyone in the room except the Snow and Wind Daimyo, Kazekage, and Otokage looked surprised and confused. This of course didn't remain unnoticed by the others in the room, as they began to look at each other for a sort of confirmation if they heard right.

"The last time we were gathered, it was Tazuna who introduced himself as the Whirlpool Daimyo and Uzumaki Nagato as the Uzukage. What happened to them?" Asked the Grass Daimyo.

"If you're thinking that I killed and usurped them, then you're thinking wrong. I have been both Uzukage and Daimyo of Whirlpool for the past nine years. Tazuna and Nagato were only a sort of representative since during the last meeting, we had to make it look like that to those Daimyos who are currently not here. Namely Fire, Earth, Water, and Lightning."

"Please explain further." Said the Gray Daimyo.

"There is a reason why I asked you to bring with you your most trusted bodyguards who were also masters of the illusion and the other of sealing. In order to explain everything to you easily, I'm going to show you series of memories from the time the Kyuubi got released up to the present time."

"You wanted to assure us that these memories are true, that is why you had us bring with us our genjutsu and fuinjutsu experts. Am I correct?" Asked the Wind Daimyo.

Kushina nodded in response. This Wind Daimyo was newly appointed. The previous daimyo, who preferred Konoha over Suna, died of a natural calamity... Courtesy of the Kazekage, naturally.

"Very well. Please show us these memories. I trust even these memories are worth more than fifteen years to watch, it will only take less than a day in real time?" Inquired the River Daimyo.

"Yes. In fact, it will only take less than three hours in real time."

Everyone nodded.

Kushina then began forming a series of handseals.

"Everyone please hold hands."

Everyone held hands and were pulled into the memoryscape.

 **Three Hours Later**

"I'm sure you're all tired and still need time to recover after seeing those memories. We'll meet again tomorrow while you have your rest. I thank you all for granting my request to come here. All questions that you have in mind will be answered tomorrow." Said the Uzuakge / Whirlpool Daimyo.

"We thank you for showing us those memories, Kushina-sama. Rest assured that everything that's transpired here remains to ourselves." The Wind Daimyo said as he took out a small knife and cut himself, allowing a few droplets of blood to fall to the ground.

Everyone in the room did the same to signify their promise of secrecy.

 **The Next Day – Chuunin Exams, Actual Start of Second Part**

 **Commentator's Box**

"Good morning everyone!"

"Here's the day we've been waiting for!"

"Our exam's acting Kage, Ibiki, have just given the order to our proctors to begin the first wave of the attack!"

"Let us now watch as the teams defend their base and more importantly, their mission items!"

 **Forest of Death**

 **Uzu and Co.**

 _"They're here."_ Said Karin through their mental link as she opened her eyes.

 _"How many?"_ Inquired Naruto.

 _"Two… Three… Three, now. The third team has just arrived and merged with the first team. There are six members per team. So we're facing a total number of eighteen proctors. That's if it's just the first batch. Which I believe isn't. I think the proctors didn't know that some teams have formed into bigger teams."_

 _"Alright. We'll assume that there will be three more teams to face. But we cannot wait for them to arrive and merge with the teams that are already here."_

 _"We're going to attack them now even if they're not within our barrier's range. Karin, we're going to subdue at least one of them with your chakra chains. You and my team will meet at the second proctor team's location. The remaining others will quickly overwhelm and destroy the merged first and third proctor teams."_

 _"The twelve are currently four hundred and twenty-one meters northwest from the fortress. The second team are two hundred and fifteen meters south. All of them seem to have stopped and are probably discussing about how they'll attack us."_ Said Karin.

 _"Alright. We'll strike them before they get the chance to do it first. Everyone, move out!"_

 **Commentator's Box**

"Oooh, look! The Uzushio, Suna, and Sound teams are moving out to meet our proctors!"

"I must say, they have great sensors."

"And fast too! They're moving to intercept them outside their camp instead of waiting for the proctors to make the first strike!"

"Hey – woah! They already got to the second team!"

 **Naruto's Team plus Karin**

The team from Uzu quickly closed the distance between them and the proctors without detection. As back in Uzushio, academy students have already started learning to mask and erase their chakra signatures.

Hinata made the first move by striking one of the proctors at the brain and another at the spinal cord, immediately dispelling them. By the time the remaining four proctors got to their feet to fight, Sasuke was upon the two of them. The exiled Uchicha quickly stabbed one of them at the back and jumped upwards to behead the other.

The two remaining proctors were just about to counterstrike but were stopped on their tracks as chakra chains wrapped around their bodies, immobilizing them.

One of the proctors saw Naruto slam a seal to his fellow proctor's head and quickly realized that it was some kind of a restriction seal. Before the blonde could turn on him, the proctor wrestled with the chains and was able to free one of his arm. He quickly took a kunai from his pouch and stabbed himself at the chest, dispelling himself.

"Aah, at least we got one." Muttered Naruto.

"Well done, everyone. Let's get him back to the fortress."

Like the second proctor team, the combined first and third were easily destroyed.

Back inside the fortress, the genin disguised chuunins surrounded the now sealed chuunin proctor. Naruto was in front of him sitting on a chair.

"Alright, proctor. Tell us what the second part is all about. What is the hidden purpose?"

The proctor simply smiled and nodded at them.

"First of all, I would like to congratulate you for realizing that there was a hidden objective and for successfully capturing me without dispelling. While it wasn't mentioned that participants could capture and interrogate proctors, it is still allowed since the exam's a war simulation. Anyway, you won't need to torture me for information here as I will tell you anyway and give your teams bonus points for this excellent work…

Now that's enough blabbering. The second exam's hidden purpose was for the teams to take two more exam items from two different teams while defending their existing item as well. On the first day, which is today, a team of proctors will attack the exam participants' camps. On the second day, there will be no attacks from proctors as this is the time for contestants to realize that they must acquire two other teams' exam items. This is where the hint about being attacked for more than five times comes to play.

Also, this is where you use your gathered intelligence from other teams. I'm telling you this since you figured out the first part's true purpose. Anyway, on the third and fourth day, proctors will be attacking you once again while on the fifth and the last day, you must have acquired at least two exam items from other teams by then. And finally, a reminder… teams can be attacked more than five times."

"We understand now. Thank you, proctor-san." Naruto said as he undid the seal and stabbed the proctor on the head, promptly dispelling him.

Everyone's eyes was on Naruto now, waiting for his orders.

"Here's the plan… For the morning today, we wait for the three remaining proctor teams to attack. In the afternoon until tomorrow afternoon, all of us will hunt for other teams and acquire their exam item. On the third day, the Uzushio teams will set out to hunt for other teams while the Suna and Sound teams defend the fortress. On the fourth day, the Uzushio teams will defend while the Suna and Sound teams hunt. On the last day, we all go out to hunt for the morning and return to the fortress in the afternoon and wait for the proctors."

"By the sound of your plan, you want us to acquire not just two but more exam items?" Said Sasuke.

"Yes. Remember the proctor's reminder? Teams can be attacked more than five times. The first three are from the proctors while the other two are from the teams. They may lose their item from the proctors or other teams, but they're not out yet. Their work simply just increased as they have to acquire three items now instead of just two. In our case, we will take as many as we can to eliminate competition."

"Got it."

"One last thing…"

Everyone waited.

"When I said eliminate competition, I meant it as kill. However, we'll only kill teams from Konoha, Iwa, Kumo, and Kiri. Konoha's Rookie Nine, Kumo's Team Yugito and Samui, and Iwa's Team must make it to the third part though. We can take their exam items and beat the crap out of them but remember, they shouldn't die during this exam's second part. Their time will come during the invasion…

The remaining teams who came from other villages are only to be knocked out or beaten to submission. As of this moment, Uzukage-sama is having a meeting with the Daimyos and Kages. We do not want to hurt their feelings…"

 **Land of Iron**

"After thinking about everything I saw yesterday, I have decided that Konoha's indeed become greedy and evil. To do such unspeakable things to a child!" Said the Wind Daimyo, making the others nod in agreement.

"Indeed. And I was planning to start alliance trade talks with the Leaf." Said the Gray Kage. "That will not happen anymore."

"Kumo can go attack Konoha. I'm breaking the alliance once the current Raikage is dead. I'm not going to risk my village's safety. If they ask Storm Village to aid them against Konoha, it will not happen." Said the Storm Kage.

"Same with Iwa. The Tsuchikage will not receive aid from Metal. Damn our alliance with Stone. Let them fight their foolish war." Said the Metal Kage.

"While I have nothing against the Leaf until now, I fully support its destruction. Should the invasion begin, I'm showing my support by letting Whirlpool Forces pass through our lands." Said the Grass Kage.

"Same here." Said the Gray Kage. "I'm still amazed we never noticed the rise of the First and Second City, which is near our border.

"So… Konoha's days are numbered…" Mused the Wind Daimyo. "If the Sandaime's cunning and manipulative, then it should be put to use now, for the Leaf's survival."

"Excuse me everyone, but I have something to say." Said the Rice Daimyo.

"What is it, Daimyo-sama?"

"If you're going to attack Konoha during the Third Part of the Exam, then we Daimyos and Kages who're supposed to be there will be in danger..." Kushina cut him as she understood his concern.

"We will be providing clones for you to go to Konoha, while the original yous remain in your homes. These clones are special as it cannot be easily detected. Additionally, the Leaf doesn't know your chakra signatures. So, they wouldn't know and expect you to be clones."

"I see. One last question… What do you plan to do with the Fire, Earth, Water, and Lightning Daimyos?"

"I will be talking with them individually. I will be showing them the memories I've shown you… I'll make them an offer they cannot refuse."

 **Later – Afternoon**

 **Forest of Death**

 **Rookie Nine Camp**

Shikamaru sighed. Defending their exam item was troublesome. In fact, the entire chuunin exam was troublesome. Moreover, everything for the Nara Clan was troublesome.

The Rookie Nine were currently resting after a troublesome morning, as Shikamaru thought. They just finished repairing the camp and were currently taking some rest. After that they will be reapplying traps around camp.

Shino, who was normally calm and collected, screamed. "WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" His bugs going frantic, feeling the demonic chakra of a bug.

The Rookie Nine immediately went into their battle stances and found themselves surrounded. They haven't realized yet that the newcomers were fellow genin competitors.

"Troublesome. I thought they said we'll only be attacked in the morning."

"You're not wrong. They indeed tell us that." Said the only blonde in the group.

"Wait, us?" Asked Kiba.

"You're genin from Uzushiogakure." Stated Tenten, as she finally noticed their hitai-ates.

"Correct. Team Seven. Uchiha Sasame, wielder of the Mangekyou Sharingan. Aburame Shino, specializes in insects. Lastly, Inuzuka Kiba, specializes in taijutsu with his partner Akamaru." Stated Sasuke.

"Team Nine. Hyuuga Neji, a so-called genius with the Gentle Fist. Haruno Sakura, specializes in the Banshee Arts. And lastly, Tenten, who specializes in weapons." Recited Hinata, not so subtly riling up her cousin.

"And lastly, Team Ten, who's also known as this generation's Ino-Shika-Cho Trio. Yamanaka Ino, specializes in mind techniques and mainly body possession. Nara Shikamaru, the head of the team who also specializes in shadow controlling, mainly shadow possession. Lastly, Akimichi Chouji, the tank of the team." Said Naruto.

"Troublesome. How come you know about us?"

"Hmm. I can safely assume that you haven't figured the true purpose of the first exam yet."

"There's a hidden purpose?" Shouted Kiba.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You may have heard the phrase, 'Look beneath the underneath', thousands of times, but you never actually applied and took it into heart. How do you expect to become chuunin if you can't even comprehend subtle and hidden tasks?"

Shikamaru sighed, finally understanding what the blonde was saying. Shino also caught up but kept an impassive look. Neji glared at Hinata. Sasame glared at Sasuke. Chouji kept eating his chips. Ino and Sakura had hearts in their eyes, staring at Naruto. Kiba scratched his head. Tenten looked lost in thought.

 _"Enough talk. Let's get their exam items. Fu, have your bugs identified them yet?"_ Asked Naruto through their mental link.

 _"Yes. A chakram, a fan, and a tantou."_

 _"Hinata."_

 _"Right._ _ **Byakugan!**_ _"_

 _"They're all stashed inside a crate covered by a double layered genjutsu."_

 _"What? They all placed it inside a single container?"_ Said Karin, incredulous.

 _"I'll say it, alright? They're dumbshits."_ Said Tayuya.

 _"I couldn't have said it any better."_ Agreed Shion.

 _"I'm glad I wasn't admitted to their academy. I will forever be grateful to the Uzukage for taking me to Uzushio."_ Said Lee. _"If I remained here, I probably would have ended up wearing a green spandex suit while screaming about the flames of youth."_

 _"I agree. If it wasn't for my illness I would have been admitted to their academy and turned out to be an idiot. It's a good thing I was also taken to Uzushiogakure."_ Said Yakumo.

 _"I've locked onto the items' location. Let's take their stuff."_ Said Fuu.

The others also locked onto their respective targets after some focusing.

 _"Yakumo. Go."_

 **"Illusion Artts: Bringer of the Infinite Void."**

The whole area then turned black. The cameras couldn't see or hear anything. Shino could not sense anything. Neji could not see even with his Byakugan. Kiba and Akamaru also found their noses useless. The Rookie Nine only felt pain on their various body parts. After what seemed like an hour, all of them felt their chakra leaving their bodies. Soon they slumped into unconsciousness due to chakra exhaustion.

Outside the void, the jutsu actually remained for only three minutes. The audience were finally able to see what was happening. They found the Rookie Nine on the ground unconscious, the Uzu teams nowhere to be seen.

Earlier inside the jutsu, Lee, Yakumo, Sasuke, and Hinata had their fun beating up the Konoha genins. After that, Naruto, Karin, and Tayuya used their chakra chains to bind the helpless Rookie Nine to hold them, while draining their chakra as well as sealing it off for thirty six hours. Fu found and replaced the stashed exam items while Shion replaced them with fake ones. Their deed done, they left the Konoha Rookie Nine's camp.

The jutsu undid itself a minute after the Uzu teams left.

It would be three to nine hours, depending on their chakra reserves, before the Rookie Nine would wake. To Sasame, who had the biggest chakra reserve of the nine, will regain consciousness after nine hours. While Sakura, who had the smallest chakra reserve, will wake in three hours.

 **The Next Day – Second Day**

 **Rookie Nine Camp**

The genins woke up in different times. With Sakura being the first, and Sasame the last. They repaired their damaged camp last night and added thrice more traps than the first day.

"Troublesome. Where are the proctors? It's almost noon."

"I've been thinking about the hidden purpose. What if this is like the first exam?" Mused Shino.

"Troublesome. The first parts' hidden purpose was intelligence gathering. We were supposed to gather intelligence from other teams…"

"If we will connect it to the second part…"

"Then it must do something with fighting them. This part's a survival mission. After retrieving valuable information, the 'enemy' sent teams to pursue us and retrieve the items we took."

"Items. The exam's hidden purpose has something to do with the exam items…"

"The Uzu genins attacked us yesterday afternoon and obviously knew everything about us and our fighting styles…"

"The head proctor told us to expect to be attacked five times or more. The first wave began tomorrow, but we were not attacked today…"

"However, we were attacked by Uzu genins. So that counts as second."

"Recounting everything, we are supposed to defend our exam items from five or more attacks."

"Oh shit…" Said Shino.

Everyone widened their eyes as they all realized what the hidden meaning of the second exam was.

"The tantou!"

"The chakram!"

"The fan!"

The Rookie Nine shouted simultaneously as they ran towards its hiding place.

"Phew! They're still here!" Said Kiba, the others relaxing as well.

"No." Said Shino, making everyone look at him. "I placed tracking bugs on each item just in case the proctors manage to capture it and we had to give chase."

Shino then pointed at the grass and crouched. He picked up three black bugs. "These are the tracking bugs. They're now dead. The Uzu nins took the items and replaced them with fake ones, while killing my tracking bugs in the process."

"Troublesome. Now we have to attack other teams and take theirs. Today's the day we're supposed to attack other teams and acquire their exam items. But since we lost ours, we're going to have to take two. If we don't get attacked by proctors tomorrow, then that means we have to attack other genins again. Otherwise we'll only need two. We'll have to wait and see for the fourth and fifth day as well if we need to take a third." Finalized Shikamaru.

 **Outside the Forest**

 **Unkown Location**

"Madara-sama. The Daimyos and Kages from the farther locations from Konoha have begun their trip for the Third Part of the Exams. Kumo and Iwa forces are expected to mobilize once the Daimyos and Kages from the middle countries start their trip to Konoha." Said Black Zetsu.

"Good. They will all die in the invasion. After that, their countries and shinobi villages will be ripe for the taking. We'll have them in our hands soon."

"Konoha's going to be a battleground. How exciting!" Exclaimed White Zetsu.

 **Fire Capital**

 **Fire Daimyo's Private Theater**

"Now tell me, what are you going to do?" Kushina asked the Fire Daimyo after showing him the memories.

"While I hate Konoha for what they've done, I couldn't just let it burn to the ground. Fire Country will have no shinobi village then. It will be open for invasions."

"What if I told you that you may still have a shinobi village even with the Leaf gone?"

"You plan to take its position then?"

"No. Uzushiogakure will be replacing Kirigakure."

"Then what village…?"

"Otogakure."

"Orochimaru-sama's village?"

"Yes. I'm going to arrange you a meeting with him if you agree."

The Fire Daimyo was silent for quite some time before he spoke again.

"Very well. I agree to your proposal. Konoha's evil needs to be stopped. After the second part of the exams, the Leaf is on its own. The Fire Capital will severe all its bonds with Konohagakure. Otogakure shall be Fire Country's new hidden village."

 _"Good. Konoha shall fall during the third part of the exams. They are facing multiple armies and have been abandoned by allies and potential allies. The Fire Capital's on our side now. Konoha will not survive after this."_

 **Chapter Nineteen End**

 **AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

 **1\. Oh yeah, thank you all for staying with me. I'm really sorry for the long update. I've posted my reason yesterday... I was in a two week vacation with no gadgets and internet connection and just got back yesterday.**

 **2\. I hope you guys liked this chapter. I know it didn't have much action but I had to focus the scenes on the survival. Not the exams, but Konoha's.**

 **3\. Expect update after 7 days. If not, maximum is 10 days.**

 **4\. Review, favorite, and follow to receive immediate updates!**

 **5\. My actual birthday's April 21. Let us wish that I finally get a new laptop so I could update even faster.**

 **6\. And finally, after not doing this for a long time, here's an omake. The temptation was strong I really had to add it here. Enjoy!**

 **Omake:**

"And this event is sponsored to us by…"

"Eight-Gatorades!"

The screen flashed an advertisement showing a topless man with long black hair climbing a mountain with his bare hands. The camera focused on the man's face, showing a bead of sweat trickle down his chin. He took out a bottle from his pouch and began drinking it.

 **Jounin Stands**

"Kami-sama, he's hot." Kurenai said outloud as everyone watched the adverisements.

"Why, Kurenai-san, thank you! I never expected you'd call me that!" Said Gai as he winked at her.

"Wait, that's you?"

"Of course!"

"But your hair!"

"Oh, I've always had a long hair like Neji. I just wore this wig." Gai said as he removed his bowl-cut hair and let his real long hair loose.

The advertisement finished as the screen flashed the product, Eight Gatorades. It showed another commercial.

In the commercial was a obviously a Hyuuga, surrounded by sixteen enemies.

The Hyuuga began attacking his opponents while his hair danced freely with the wind. After the battle, with him winning of course, the camera focused on his still gorgeous and undamaged hair.

The screen then flashed a shampoo bottle, the product's name was 360 Degrees Gentle Touch, which definitely sounded pretty lame.

When the scene finished, everyone stared at Neji, who by some unexplainable reason was there instead of the forest.

"Gai sensei, our flames of youth shine brightly in our commercials." Said Neji in a monotone voice.

"YOSH, NEJI-KUN! YOU'RE RIGHT! WITH OUR YOUTHFUL HAIR AND US DRINKING EIGHT GATORADES TO MAKE IT BURN BRIGHTER, WE WILL INSPIRE THE WORLD!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Neji!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"NEJI!"

Gai and Neji went into a very manly hug. In the background were crashing waves in a sunset while their long hairs danced with the wind.

Everyone who was watching attempted to dispel the genjutsu but could not. It was youthful indeed.


	20. Chapter 20: Taking Over

To: Mikey (Guest) / StrikerTheFallen's latest review, I will do that. It's a good idea. Thanks!

After chapters 7, 14, and 21, I will post a recap so you guys can recall the stuff that's happened.

Here are some reminders:

1\. The Uchiha Clan Massacre never happened. So Danzo doesn't have a sharingan.

2\. Lee's soul was transferred to a new created body that has chakra. Lee can now perform jutsu.

3\. Obito and Tobi are two different people.

4\. In this story, both Black and White Zetsu were created by Madara. So expect no Kaguya.

You know, originally this chapter only had 8k words. But after editing it three times, it now has 13k. This is the longest chapter ever, not counting Chapter Twelve: Turning Point. Chapters 12 and 24 are really long.

 **Chapter Twenty: Taking Over**

Today was the fourth day for the Chuunin Exam's Second Part. It was the last day the examinees have to defend their exam items from the proctors, while still having to look out for other genin teams who'll try to take theirs. Most of them have figured out the hidden meaning.

While Konoha was busy with the exam, other nations were making final preparations. But not for the exams.

 **Kumogakure**

"My people!" Roared the Raikage. "For the past year we have been preparing to show the oppressor that we cannot be oppressed. Konoha's given us more than one reason to declare war. And so today, we begin our march towards the Leaf. By the time the third part of the exam begins, our army will be in position for the attack, as well as our allies Iwa and Kiri. Now that's enough talk… To battle!"

"To battle!" Roared the Kumo Army.

 **Iwagakure**

"After the exam's second part, Iwagakure will finally have its revenge! During the last war, we suffered heavy losses with the hands of one of their shinobi… Minato Namikaze. We will avenge our fallen comrades by burning the Leaf down and killing the Yellow Flash's son!"

"Yeah!" Roared the army.

 **Unknown Hideout**

"The Kumo and Iwa army are on the move." Said Zetsu.

"What of their village?" Asked 'Madara'.

 **"Kumo has sent thirty thousand of their forces. Ten thousand remained to guard the village."** Said Black Zetsu.

"Iwa's sent almost all of its forces. The only ones left in the village are recently turned genins doing the patrols. The rest are civilians. The army size marching towards Konoha's at thirty thousand." Said White Zetsu.

"Good. There is a little change of plans."

"What is it, Madara-sama?"

"Our army size is a hundred thousand. While it is huge enough to fight the combined forces of Konoha, Kumo, Iwa, and Kiri, I have realized that there's still Suna, Uzushio, and Oto…

Suna might find this a good time to attack Konoha for stealing their income. Next is Oto… the Sound's Kage is Orochimaru, who hates the Leaf for betraying Whirlpool as well as having his image ruined. The last is Uzushio… I have a strong belief that they may somehow know about Konoha selling them out to the alliance. So they'd get revenge for that, as well as for giving Namikaze Naruto hell while he was still there.

The Uzumakis are the greatest threat here. We have no knowledge about the new Uzushiogakure. We do not know how big their military is. The almost forty thousand we saw in the movie could be only a part. Their army could be bigger. The Uzumakis weren't feared for nothing.

So for now, we let their armies clash while we take over Kumo and Iwa. We will officially declare those two village our main bases. With their armies destroyed or diminished, the Raikage and the Tsuchikage will have a hard time recapturing their homes. They'll be wandering people then, making them easier targets.

Should they try to recapture their villages, they will have to combine their forces to attack one. We can easily reinforce the village that is under siege with Zetsu's ability to travel underground.

Kisame, you will lead five thousand Zetsu clones and invade Iwa. Sasori, Hidan, and Kakuzu, you three will take forty-five thousand with you and invade Kumo. I want no civilians dead. Kill only the shinobi and those who'll rebel."

"Ha! Kumo offerings for Jashin-sama!" Hidan cheered.

"More puppets to add to my collection." Sasori nodded.

"Hopefully the shinobi left there have bounties." Kakuzu said. "I might also find a good reserve for my lightning heart."

"I'll expect to hear from you before the third part of the exam begins." Said 'Madara'. "You have your orders. Go."

"Hai."

 **Konohagakure**

 **Forest of Death - Sai's Team Hideout**

Team Eight were currently cleaning their weapons. They just finished disposing off a Kiri team who tried taking their exam item. They quickly hid from the cameras' view when they felt a tug in their minds.

 _"Sai, Torune, Foo, do you copy?"_

 _"Yes, Minato-sama."_

 _"Good. Commence Operation: Unroot."_

 _"Affirmative."_

The three then created seal-reinforced blood clones and left the Forest of Death, heading for the ROOT Base, where Danzo was currently staying at. The clones came out of hiding and proceeded with the exams.

 _"Tenzo, we're on our way."_ Called Sai.

 **Later- ROOT Base**

"Sai, Torune, Foo. Why are you here?" Danzo asked as his attention focused on his top three ROOT away from the screen.

"We have news, Danzo-sama. There is a threat to _our village_ that needs to be eliminated." Sai said, making an emphasis to the village part.

"I see. Very well. Eliminate this threat."

"At once." Nodded the three.

Roots sprouted from where Danzo stood. Tenzo was able to drain ten percent of Danzo's chakra before the target jumped away.

"What is this?!" An annoyed Danzo asked. "How did you get in here? ROOT! Kill this ungrateful experiment of mine this instant!" He ordered, still not figuring out his ROOT's betrayal.

"We are eliminating the threat." Sai merely said.

Danzo nodded, thinking he was talking about Tenzo. His eyes widened when ink lions came charging at him. He dispelled them by spitting bullets of wind.

"What is this? You're betraying the Foundation now, huh? No matter…" The Root Founder said as he formed a single hand seal and glared at Sai. **"Absolute Mind Subjugation!"**

Sai's body became stiff. However, it was all an act. Danzo did not notice Foo and Torune's smirks.

"Perhaps I underestimated you. You have a strong will, I'll give you that. However, for trying to kill me, I shall punish you a bit… **"Pain!"**

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Sai screamed. "AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA! WAHAHAHAHA!" He laughed.

"What?!" Danzo was too shocked he did not notice tree roots behind him. He totally forgot about Tenzo.

"We're no longer your puppets." Said Torune as he unsheathed his tantou, with Foo doing the same.

"Ha! I'll have your heads, you traitors! ROOT!" Danzo called all his members. The room became surrounded by around a thousand foundation members.

"You are surrounded." Danzo smirked triumphantly.

Tenzo took this opportunity to throw a kunai at the old man.

Danzo did not deflect it but simply side stepped. What he did not notice was that the kunai was three pronged. A millisecond later, there was a yellow flash. Danzo found himself kissing the cold floor. There was a foot stepping on his head, keeping him down. For the first time in thirteen years, he once again felt fear as he heard his new attacker's voice.

"Hello, Danzo. Just for the record, you are the one surrounded here." The newcomer said, the coldness in his voice sent chills on the old man's spine.

 _"Minato?! But how?"_ Panic rising in his chest, he looked up to the surrounding ROOT ANBU, wondering why they were completely still, not making a move to help him.

As if hearing his thoughts, Minato answered his questions. "They do not follow you. They only follow me and Uzushiogakure. You are the threat to the village that Sai was talking about."

"How could this happen?"

Minato decided to answer the old man's questions. He won't be denying him what he wanted, as Danzo was going to die anyway.

"It all started eight years ago, when the raid happened… Yes, it was Uzushiogakure that was behind the attack. And you put the blame on Kumo and Iwa. Anyway, while you were in a coma, Whirlpool was able to capture three of your ROOT, namely Sai, Foo, and Torune. We had their seals removed and after some talking, the three of them swore allegiance to Uzushio. After that we had the rest of ROOT have their seals removed. You know what's so good about it? All of them swore allegiance to Whirlpool after gaining their lives back. You're all alone now Danzo. Sarutobi, Jiraiya, nor Fugaku will be able to help you."

There was a red flash in the room. Danzo felt even more scared as he recognized the newcomer's chakra.

"You…! You can do the Hiraishin too?" He asked, although it sounded more like of a statement.

"Why, of course, I can! I'm Minato's wife after all. In fact, all my children can do it. Naruto, the one you kidnapped, can do it. Would you like him to be the one to kill you?"

"The demon bastard-!"

Slap. It was so loud that it echoed in the room. Some of the younger ROOT ANBU winced at the sound.

"Don't you dare call my son that!"

Danzo found himself flying towards the ceiling. And then he was falling. However, he was falling horizontally. He felt his body being pulled towards Kushina, whose eyes were purple and had ring patterns.

 **"Shinra Tensei (Almighty Push)"** Once again he felt his body fly at neck breaking speeds. His spine hit the cavern wall, causing him to cough copious amount of blood. Before he could fall, he was pulled once again towards his attacker. This time, his face collided with a chakra enhanced fist.

"This is for Naruto."

The beating began. Minato made sure not to avert his gaze to see every detail of it. The memory of Danzo taking a beating will be copied and extracted later for the Konoha people to see.

After an hour, Danzo lay in a bloody heap. He was now unrecognizable due to his condition.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you yet…" Said Kushina.

The Uzukage placed seals on the old man's head, healing all his injuries. While he returned to his healthy state, Danzo's chakra was smaller than a civilian new born.

We don't want you dead yet. After all, you will have to watch Konoha burn while not being able to do anything. However, you will be staying here. This is your prison for now. I'll be taking over and pose as you." Said Minato.

 **Skip to Chuunin Exams Second Part – Last Day**

 **Uzushiogakure**

 **Uzushiogakure War Council**

Gathered inside the room were the former and current Uzukage, Tsunade, Minato, Tobi, Kaede, Narumi, Minako, the clan heads, and the elite jounin. They were discussing the final preparations for the war.

There was an urgent knock on the door that interrupted the meeting. Kushina nodded and let the person in.

When the door opened, it revealed to be two spies. One was wearing Kumo clothing while the other was wearing Iwa clothing.

The two knelt. The Iwa spy spoke first.

"Urgent news, Uzukage-sama. Iwagakure has been invaded by a force of five thousand white creatures led by missing nin Hoshigaki Kisame. They now control the whole village due to it being only inhabited by civilians and freshly graduated genins." Said the Iwa spy.

"I bring similar news. Kumo has been invaded by a force of forty-five thousand white creatures and were led by missing nins Kakuzu of Waterfall, Hidan the Jashinist, and Sasori of the Red Sands. The ten thousand shinobi that remained to guard the village have been all killed. The invaders have taken full control of the village." Said the Kumo spy.

"Describe these white creatures." Said Kushina.

"Yes. The white creatures all looked alike. While they were odd, they still had the structure of a regular human being. They all looked the same. They can be easily recognized by their white bodies, short green hair, and yellow eyes. While these creatures seemed to be males, their voices are high pitched, although deeper than Tobi-san's." Said the Iwa spy.

"Originally, the white creatures have no actual battle style. However, during their battle with the Kumo remnants, we have found out that they can copy a victim's appearance as well as chakra signatures. We believe that was how they were able to infiltrate the village easily and kill ten thousand Kumo shinobi. From observation, we have concluded that they can copy another person by absorbing even a small amount of the victim's chakra. While they can copy another person's appearance, voice, and chakra signature, they cannot learn of their victim's memories. I had to ask every spy our secret question before I was able to identify them." Added the Kumo spy.

"Zetsu." Said Tobi, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. "Those white creatures are called White Zetsu. They were created by Madara… and I mean the real Madara, not Obito pretending to be Madara."

"I see." Said Arashi.

"At least we finally know who Kisame and Kakuzo work for." Said Kushina. "You two did a good job relaying the information. When you return, give these seals to the other spies so we could receive news without you having to come here and risk being caught. These are already linked to me."

 **Konohagakure**

 **Forest of Death**

From fifty-three teams, only fourteen teams remained. The others died by the hands of fellow competitors, while some were killed by the creatures living in the forest. Those who survived but without their exam item, will still be escorted out of the forest but were now eliminated.

The examinees waited at their camps for the proctors to escort them out.

The Rookie Nine were able to take three scrolls during the second day, and six more during the last day. Sasame were closely watched by the Uzushio jounin senseis, where her usage of the Mangekyou were reported to Naruto's team.

Yugito and Kurotsuchi's team simply proved they were already low jounin, at least to those who knew. Mainly Uzushio, Suna, and Oto. Samui's team on the other hand were chuunin material.

Sai's team kept their act and only made themselves look like low chuunin and not ANBU level.

The other unnamed team was a team from Konoha. They came from the same class as the Rookie Nine but didn't come from clans as they were orphans, and so they weren't regarded with much importance. To one shinobi from Whirlpool, however, he recognized them. Lee still remembered those three who had been his friends back in the orphanage, but was left alone as if he was a plague when they found out he had no chakra. Lee made a vow to himself to destroy those three during the exam's third part.

Naruto's group were the only ones who hunted for more exam items. They had nine extra exam items taken from other teams.

Finally, an ANBU appeared to each genin camp to escort them out of the forest.

 **Later – Konohagakure Stadium**

 **Commentator's Box**

"Welcome, viewers! You are still watching the Chuunin Exams, first ever live telecast, hosted this year by Konohagakure! Once again, I'm Izumo."

"And I'm Kotetsu! And there are our contestants!"

"Wow, from ninety-six teams down to fourteen!"

"However, we won't be starting with the Third Part yet… as we have prepared something that everyone will surely like!"

"Today we will be having our exam's special event… Individual and Team Battles, which is technically a Wild Card Event!"

 **Down the Stadium**

"Well done everyone." Greeted Ibiki, the acting Kage for the exam. "After retrieving the crucial item for the war and holding your ground for five days within enemy territory, you have been escorted back to the base by reinforcements. However, the war isn't over yet. We simply crippled the enemy by acquiring intelligence and eliminating their numbers. Intelligence says that the enemy army have finally mobilized all their forces and are marching towards our stronghold as of this moment. We have estimated their arrival in three days."

"Now, I'll be speaking normally and not in war simulation mode… Ehem… The exam's third part will begin in three days. That is to give you time to recuperate. However, you are still not allowed to make contact with your jounin senseis. And so, for today up to the day before the third part, we will be doing Individual and Team Battles… In other words, we're having a Wild Card Event."

"You lot!" Ibiki pointed at the teams who made it to the exam's second part but got eliminated. "You still have the chance to get promoted. During this stage of the event, you may register to fight as an individual or as a team…

The first part will be individual battles, and team battles next. The matches are selected randomly. This will be a tournament type of event.

Now what's the catch? The individual and the team that makes it to the finals, obviously, will be able to participate to the chuunin exam's third and final part.

Your performance during this special event may still grant you promotion even if you lose, so make sure you impress the judges and act like chuunins!"

The eliminated teams glared at the fourteen surviving teams. They'll have a chance for retribution should they win the wild card event.

"Tsk, troublesome. Four extra people to battle later…" Guess who said that.

"Are we still allowed to kill?" Asked someone from the eliminated teams.

"Yes." Grunted Ibiki.

"This kid's eager to die…" Naruto muttered aloud.

"Hey, what did you say, whisker boy?"

"I said, you're eager to die. Got me?"

"Why, you! You bastard! I'll kill you!" The boy tried to jump at Naruto, but were held by his teammates. They were a team from Kiri.

"Settle down, brats!" Ibiki interrupted them. "I see you're all eager to fight. But you'll have to register first so we can prepare the matches. Remember, they're random!"

Everyone grumbled.

 _"I'm going to murder that kid… Painfully."_ Naruto thought.

 _"Whisker boy! Hahahaha!"_ Miho teased.

 _"Not you too, Onee-chan."_

 _"That kid's good, why didn't we think of that name before?"_ Mio added.

 _"Right. I'm so going to murder that kid."_

Everyone chuckled to themselves. Sasuke, however, could not hold it to himself and so he laughed aloud, causing everyone in the stadium to look at him as if he was mad.

"Ehem. We only have ten minutes for the registration. Move it, brats!" Ibiki shouted.

 _"Naruto-kun… I just had a vision…"_ Said Shion.

 _"What is it?"_

 _"I saw you murdering that kid. He and his team will make it to the exam's third part."_

 _"Sounds fun. At least a Kiri team makes it to the finals. Thank you, Shion-chan."_

 _"Heheheh… Whisker boy."_ Sasuke chuckled.

 _"Shut up, duck-ass hair."_ Retaliated Naruto.

 _"Hey! My hair's longer now!"_

 _"Still, duck-ass."_

 **Time Skip – Three Days**

 **Near the Fire Country Border**

All Konoha shinobi doing patrols have been eliminated by the invading forces. The Iwa army along with half of the Kumo army will be coming by the normal route while the Kiri forces along with the other half of Kumo's army will be arriving by the shore.

They never spotted the Whirlpool Recon Teams that were already lurking there.

 **Konohagakure**

 **Stadium**

"Welcome to the Third and Final Stage of this year's Chuunin Examinations!" Yelled the Hokage.

Everyone in the stadium cheered as they will finally witness their favorite teams fight.

Ibiki walked towards the podium and faced the forty-six individuals. The battling ground itself was big enough for two tailed beasts to fit in. It had some small patches of forests, an artificial river, a rocky plane, and other elements that the participants may use for the matches.

"Today is the day where our army clashes with the enemy army. As both sides clash, you are separated from your team, wherein you'll have to fight as an individual." Ibiki then nodded to them and jumped back to the spectator seats.

"Yo. I'm Gekko Hayate, and I'll be the main proctor for this part. Now, this will be a tournament, so… First match…"

Everyone looked at the screen. After some rolling the bars stopped and flashed two names.

 _"Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto vs. Momochi Kento"_

"Will everyone please leave the floor except those two?"

"Are both fighters ready?"

"You're so dead, Whisker Boy" Said Kento as he unsheathed a sword. It was a recreation of the Kubikiribocho.

"Yeah, whatever." Replied Naruto, his arms crossed.

"I'll take that as a yes…" Sighed Hayate. "Begin!" He shouted as he jumped away from the floor.

"You're going down, Namikaze. Back in Kiri, I was called the Second Coming of the Demon, and so I got this blade."

Naruto did not reply but sighed aloud. _"Why, does in every single match, there's a fucking monologue?"_

 ** _"I guess it's some form of last words. Most people who love giving monologues die easily."_** Replied Kurama.

 _"I see."_ Naruto unsheathed his swords and went into his created sword style.

The crowd watched in amazement as Naruto threw the six blades and caught them and stood at an unrecognizable stance.

In the crowds, one human and one demon watched in wonder.

 ** _"Bee, it looks the same as the one you're using. However, Naruto uses only six swords, not seven."_**

 _"Yeah. Mr. Nine is awesome, yo!"_

Back to the fight, Naruto began channeling chakra to his swords.

"Die."

It was the last word Kento heard before he had to defend himself against Naruto's onslaught.

To everyone watching, the battle was… one-sidedly mesmerizing. For ten whole minutes Naruto attacked his opponent with his unique Kenjutsu style. Kento was on the defensive during the whole fight. He could not find an opening and could not make any patterns from his opponents' attacks. His unsuccessful parries were now even sloppier due to him sustaining multiple cuts and he was bleeding profusely. Finally, Naruto finished the battle by making a roundhouse kick, cutting off the Kiri genin's head in the process.

The crowd was speechless as Naruto resealed his swords and walked towards the participants' seats. Ibiki had to kick Hayate off the stands so he could announce the match winner.

Hayate unceremoniously fell to the stadium floor head first, causing some people to laugh.

"Winner: Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze!" It was only at this moment the crowd began to cheer.

The screen flashed Naruto as the winner and replayed the match's final moments, showing him decapitating Kento.

To those who were gaping at the blonde, they thought Naruto did not care at all about the battle outcome. To Naruto, however, he was silently observing the crowd's reaction, moreover, the crowd from Konoha. Some were looking at him with awe, others in pride, and the other in fear.

 _"I'm going to kill you all."_ Naruto thought as he finally smiled and waved at the crowd.

"Second Match…!" Hayate shouted as he pointed at the screen.

 _"Uzumaki Lee Vs. Li of Konoha"_

Li jumped down from the stands while Lee simply walked.

Li was sneering at his opponent who was now standing before him.

"Are both fighters ready? Good. Begin!"

"You should give up now." Li began, not even taking a stance. Lee stared at him blankly as he decided what kind of death he should give Li. He was one of those people who abandoned him when they found out he had no chakra.

Up in the stands, two people got annoyed.

 _"Good fucking heavens! Another monologue!"_ Naruto screamed mentally.

 _"That low commoner stole my line. I'm going to sue him."_ Neji thought as he glared at Li.

Back to the match, Li continued with his speech.

"You do not even have chakra. You cannot defeat me. I have been admitted to the academy and was among the good ones. You, on the other hand, are probably the dead last in Uzushio. Your sensei is watching the exams, I'm sure. It would be best if you apologized to him now, because when I'm done with you, your career as a shinobi will end."

Lee did not respond as he was still picking a specific set of jutsu to use.

 _"Lee, can I make a suggestion?"_ Naruto asked him through the link.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Li shouted at his opponent.

"Thanks, I'll do just that." Said Lee aloud, confusing Li. Lee vanished and reappeared behind Li, kicking him hard and sending him flying. Lee quickly made some hand seals and slammed both his palms to the ground.

 **"Earth Release: Hardened Mud Tunnel Cave"**

A closing rose to where Li was. The cave's tunnel was fifty feet long, and Li was at the other end. The opening of the cave faced Lee, who just finished the seals for summoning.

 **"Summoning Technique!"**

A green dragon thirty-six feet long appeared in a puff of smoke. Lee was then revealed to be standing on top of its head and was now performing another set of hand seals.

There was no interaction as the dragon knew what to do.

Li had just recovered and was now standing when he looked at his opponent. His eyes widened when he saw the dragon beside Lee, whom he realized was doing seals for a jutsu.

Li was about to remind his opponent that he had no chakra when he finished his seals.

 **"Wind Release: Wind Piercing Tornado"** Shouted Lee as his chest expanded and blew out a tornado of wind.

 **"Majestic Dragon Flames"**

 **"Collaboration Technique: Majestic Blazing Tornado!"**

Li's eyes widened even more as the roaring tornado of fire came towards him. He was surrounded by a cave and the only exit was facing Lee. He had no choice but to run towards the incoming flames of death. Li called out a water jutsu to try extinguishing the flames. The water quickly evaporated due to the extreme heat.

Li's screams of pain quickly died soon as he let them out. He was consumed by the flame as he had no way out of the cave. He didn't know any earth jutsu and even if he did, his elemental affinity was lightning.

Karin was not just a strong sensor. She also had the ability to sense others' elemental affinity if she concentrated enough, and so she told Naruto about Li's. Naruto then suggested how Lee should kill Li.

The roaring flames lasted inside the cave for about half a minute. When it finally died down, Lee released the jutsu and let the earth cave melt back to the ground. To where Li was standing at earlier, there was only a blackened patch of ground. There wasn't a trace of him. No corpse, and not a pile of ash either.

 **Commentator's Box**

"I wonder, what was Li talking about?" Kotetsu said.

"Obviously, Uzumaki Lee had chakra. So, I have no clue either." Said Izumo.

 **Back to the Stadium**

"Winner: Lee Uzumaki!"

The screen flashed Lee as the winner and replayed the match.

Li's teammates, who were also Lee's former friends, stared at the ground in horror. Then they looked at Lee in wonder. _"How come he's got chakra?"_

As Lee walked towards the seats, he heard Naruto talking to everyone in the link. _"Remember, if I ever hear one of you say a damn monologue in your matches, I'm going to murder you before your opponent can."_

Everyone sweat dropped at this. Kankuro, Sakon, and Ukon laughed as they knew Temari and Kin sometimes liked to talk before fighting.

"Third Match…!"

 _"Uzumaki Karin Vs. Inuzuka Kiba"_

Karin jumped down from the seats and landed with grace. She adjusted her glasses as she studied her opponent, who also jumped down and was now leering at her.

 _"The hormones are strong with this one."_ Karin thought.

"Ha! A girl! I'm fighting a girl! Akamaru, I won't even need your help with this." Kiba bragged, Akamaru simply whimpered at his master's attitude. "You know, you're pretty, so why don't you just forfeit the match so I wouldn't have to hurt you and your face. I might even allow you to go on a date with me." Kiba winked.

All females watching the event glared at the Inuzuka.

 _"That's it. I'm going to humiliate this loudmouth."_ Karin then decided to use a Hijutsu.

 _"You go girl!"_ Fu, Shion, Yakumo, Temari, and Kin cheered.

 _"Beat that shithead!"_ Yelled Tayuya.

If one would look closely, Kurenai was glaring at Kiba so hard that her eyes could probably turn into a Sharingan.

 _"A hormonal and sexist Inuzuka versus a female Uzumaki. I feel sorry for this kid."_ Hayate thought as he stood at the middle. "Are both fighters, ready? Good. Begin!"

Golden chains quickly shot out of Karin's body, lounging at Kiba. The Inuzuka was able to avoid the first wave of chains thanks to Akamaru, who warned him. A second wave sprouted from the Uzumaki and headed towards Kiba's partner this time.

The chains caught the animal and was tossed aside later, its chakra drained.

"Akamaru!" Kiba called to his now unconscious partner.

It was too late when he noticed the third wave of chains. He was whipped by a chain to his mouth twice. And then the chains wrapped him. Kiba's left wrist was caught first and then his torso. He was now suspended at the air, a chain on each wrist, another on his waist, and two more for his ankles.

Nobody noticed Karin wound herself and smear her blood on the chain that whipped Kiba's mouth.

Karin then let the wound heal and then flashed into hand seals. She used the thirteen to twenty-first hand seals created by the Uzumaki Clan and so it could not be recognized by the watching crowd.

 ** _"Secret Jutsu: Blood Release - Vampire's Seduction… Activate"_**

 _"He's your personal bitch now."_ Said Tayuya through the link, much to the confusion of the non-Uzumakis. Only true-born Uzumakis knew of the Chiton. After all, it was a Secret Jutsu passed down by the Ancient Uzumaki Vampires. The non-Uzumakis did not hear Karin call out the name of the technique. To some terms, it was magically protected.

Karin waited as Kiba's eyes looked unfocused. Finally it flashed red and his eyes went back to normal. The redhead put down her captive and recalled her chains. She smirked at Kiba, who was looking at her with admiration and devotion.

 _"Perfect. He fell for it. With that small amount of blood, I only have ten minutes of control… But that's enough time to humiliate him."_

"You are now my pet." Karin said aloud, confusing some of the audience. "I want you to act like the mutt you are. Got it?"

"Yes Mistress Karin. I will do everything you'd ask me to do. I will act like the mutt I am." Replied Kiba in a submissive tone. Then he went down on fours, like a dog.

"Good. I want you to prove it and show everyone who are watching."

"Arf! Arf!" Barked Kiba, causing some of the audience to snicker.

Karin held out a red ball. "See this?"

"Arf!"

"Fetch!" Karin shouted as she threw the ball.

"Arf!" Kiba excitedly barked as he chased after it, still crouching on fours.

Almost half of the audience laughed as Kiba picked the ball with his mouth and returned it to Karin.

The others questioned about the jutsu and the hand seals Karin used. The Uchihas, much to their confusion, wondered why Karin was clapping.

To the Uchihas and people with transplanted Sharingan, they only saw Karin clap her hands instead of form into nine new hand seals. The remaining audience who did not see her clap, made their minds see her form the original twelve hand seals very fast, so they weren't able to recognize it. Even if the cameramen replayed and slowed it down, they will only see blurs.

Back to the match, Karin ordered Kiba to drop the ball, and so he did.

"Good dog. Now, let us show them how talented you are." Karin said as she held out three fingers. "How many fingers are these?"

"Arf! Arf! Arf!" Kiba barked thrice.

"Good dog. Roll over."

Kiba rolled over.

"Play dead."

Kiba laid on the ground motionlessly.

 _"Amazing."_ Said Fu. _"What did Karin do? Was that a genjutsu?"_ She asked everyone's question.

 _"Sorry guys, can't tell."_ Replied Naruto. _"It's a clan secret."_

Everyone understood and didn't pry further.

For the next seven minutes, Karin continued to order Kiba around and made him do things that will definitely destroy his pride and reputation.

Some of the audience thought that she was humiliating him too much. Others, mostly females, thought that her actions were justified as Kiba was sexist and rude. The rest simply did not care enough and merely enjoyed the show.

 _"Hmm, I guess that's enough."_ Karin thought.

"You've done well, my pet. That's enough acting as a dog. Stand up and act human once again."

"At once, Karin-sama." Kiba said as he stood up and straightened himself. "What else would you like me do, Mistress?"

"Tell… No… Shout to the crowd that you're all talk and actually useless. That you only use your loudmouth instead of your brain. After that declaration I want you to forfeit the match. You are dismissed once I'm called the winner."

"As you wish, Mistress Karin." Kiba then turned at the audience and shouted. "I AM AN ALL TALK AND USELESS! I ONLY USE MY LOUDMOUTH INSTEAD OF MY BRAIN!" Satisfied, he turned to Hayate.

"Proctor, I forfeit!"

Feeling sorry for the boy, Hayate nodded and called the match. "Winner by forfeit: Karin Uzumaki!"

"Wait, what?" Shouted Kiba.

The screen then flashed Karin as the winner and replayed Karin giving him orders and him doing it.

"What the hell was that? That's not fair!" He demanded.

"She won fair and square, Kiba-san. Now please get off the stage." Ordered Hayate.

Angry, Kiba tried to attack Karin. Surprisingly, it was Kurenai who jumped down from the jounin stands and stopped him.

"Kiba, that's enough." Kurenai said softly, feeling sorry for the boy's humiliation. "She won the match fairly. She used some genjutsu and you fell for it. You should be thankful she didn't ask you to kill yourself."

Kiba, who had a secret crush on Kurenai, calmed down and picked Akamaru up and let himself be guided away by the jounin. "How come I got captured by her genjutsu? When did she cast it? Will I be able to see the replay?"

Kurenai winced. "Yes. But you'll have to ask Kakashi for it."

"Alright. Thank you, Kurenai-sensei. I'm sorry about earlier."

"It's alright Kiba." Kurenai said as she walked back to the jounin stands.

The fourth match was Temari of the Sand against Tenten of Konoha. Temari won by sending multiple blades of win at Tenten, killing her.

Fifth match was Neji Hyuuga against Nemo of Kiri. Neji won by killing Nemo using a jyuken strike at the heart.

Sixth match was Kin Tsuchi against Ino Yamanaka. Kin won by raining needles upon Ino, killing her.

Seventh match was Foo of Konoha against Shion Uzumaki. Shion forfeited before the match even began.

Eighth match was Sai of Konoha against Kankuro of the Sand. Kankuro forfeited as well before the match.

Ninth match was Dosu Kinuta against Chouji Akimichi. Dosu won with Chouji forfeiting the match.

Tenth match was Sakon and Ukon of the Sound against Shikamaru. The twins won by Shikamaru forfeiting.

Eleventh match was Sasame Uchiha against Dori of Kiri. Sasame won by using the Tsukiyomi and then a great fireball at Dori, killing her.

Twelfth match was Yugito Nii against Akitsuchi of Iwa. Yugito won by knock out.

Thirteenth match was Fu Uzumaki against Mimi of Kumo. Fu won by having her demon bugs eat her opponent from the inside, creeping out most of the audience, with the exception of the Aburame Clan.

Fourteenth match was Yakumo Kurama against Jirobo of the Sound. Yakumo won by knock out.

Fifteenth match was Hinata Uzumaki against Lili of Kumo. Hinata won by killing Lili. With the former Hyuuga's last words to her as 'that's for trying to kidnap me when I was a child'.

Sixteenth match was Sasuke Uzumaki against Akatsuchi of Iwa. The former Uchiha won by killing Akatsuchi using Madara's jutsu, **Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation** , much to the surprise of the Uchihas and everyone who knew Madara Uchiha.

Seventeenth match was Tayuya Uzumaki against Karui of Kumo. Tayuya won by having her Doki beat Karui to death.

Eighteenth match was Gaara of the Sand against Zaku Abumi. Zaku also forfeited before the match even started.

Nineteenth match was Kurotsuchi of Iwa against Samui of Kumo. Kurotsuchi won by knock out.

Twentieth match was Sakura Haruno against Aliya of Konoha. Sakura won by screeching at her opponent, making her ear bleed and effectively knocking her out.

Twenty-first match was Shino Aburame against Toyo of Konoha. Shino won by knock out.

Twenty-second match was Taki of Taki against Torune of Konoha. Taki won by killing Torune. The teams from Uzushio, Suna, and Oto of course knew Taki only killed an advanced bug clone.

The last match for the preliminary was Kidomaru of the Sound against Omoi of Kumo. Kidomaru won by raining arrows upon Omoi, killing him.

As the preliminaries ended, there was a short break.

 **Uzushiogakure**

"Konoha's satellites are down. The broadcast is connected to us now, Uzukage-sama." Said an Uzu tech.

"Good. Begin the show." Ordered Kushina.

 **Back to Konoha**

Instead of the advertisements, Kushina's face showed on the screens, much to the looks of horror of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Jiraiya, and Fugaku Uchiha.

"Greetings, everyone. I am Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze, Uzukage and Daimyo of the Uzushiogakure Empire. All daimyos and kages already know me, as I have called a meeting. I have asked permission from them for this interruption as there is something you should all know. While the things I'm going to show you are long, it would only take five minutes in the actual time… This is the power of Fuinjutsu."

With Kuhina narrating everything, the screen then changed and showed Uzushiogakure, thirteen years ago. It showed the Sandaime Hokage talking to the Mizukage, Tsuchikage, and the Raikage. The screen showed everything that's happened during the attack and Naruto's kidnapping. The scene then shifted to Konoha attempting to make an alliance with Suna. Then the scene focused on some papers, indicating the Leaf's plans of betraying Sand once they have taken Gaara, the Jinchuuriki of the Shukaku.

"As all the whole elemental nations knew, Whirlpool was a great ally of the Leaf. However, during the second war, Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, sold us out to Kumo, Iwa, and Kiri. Our small village of course have been attacked by their alliance. The world knew that our clan and village have been extinct then. However, that was what we wanted everyone think. The Uzumaki Clan never died. The village was never destroyed. The corpses you saw were of the invaders', dressed only to look like the fallen Uzumaki. The ruins that you saw were only illusions.

However, that was not the only betrayal Konoha did... Eight years ago, they tried to make an alliance with Suna. That alliance as it turns out was not sincere. Konoha planned to sell out the Sand's secrets to the other three great village. They planned to make a repeat of the Uzushiogakure Attack. They wanted to kidnap Gaara, the son of the Yondaime Kazekage, and make the boy their own weapon. They planned to do the same thing they did to my son, who was hated by everyone from the Leaf Village. By hurting him, he would be afraid and submissive. Thus, making him the perfect weapon."

The scenes next showed Konoha on Naruto's point of view.

"Fugaku Uchiha was among the invading army and entered our home. He killed my civilian household and kidnapped my newborn son, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. They brought him to Konoha and used him as the Kyuubi no Yoko's Jinchuuriki. As you can see, my son suffered as he grew up in Konoha. He was hated by everyone for holding the demon at bay. They tortured him, beat him, starved him, and did everything to degrade him.

When he was kidnapped by a combined team of Iwa and Kumo shinobi, eight years ago, a group of mercenaries and slavers found him. With him they also found Hinata Hyuuga branded with the Caged Bird Seal and Sasuke Uchiha who, at that time was rejected by his parents Fugaku and Mikoto. The slavers did not know their identities and so our black ops made a transaction and bought them. After that, as you can see, we killed the mercenaries and the slavers. Since then the three grew up in Uzushiogakure. After years of hiding, Whirlpool once again resurfaced from hiding by participating in the chuunin exams.

People of Konoha, hear this… Should you ever utter the words 'demon', 'demonspawn', 'kyuubi brat', or any other degrading word against my son, that person and their family will suffer heavy consequences. The Fire Capital already knew the truth about Konoha's evil deeds when the Second Part of the Exam was happening. In other words, Whirlpool is friends with the Fire Daimyo. Should anything happen to my children during this event, with the Fire Capital's blessing and assistance, Uzushiogakure will declare war to Konoha."

And with that, the screen flashed and returned to normal, showing the local advertisements. Nobody moved from their seats. The Uzukage's threat still ringing to their ears. Everyone's eyes was on Naruto. Finally realizing it was him. Him who they scorned. Him who was the son of the hero they worshipped. They felt ashamed and disgusted to themselves. Some of the shinobi however, most of them from the Uchiha Clan, were indifferent.

The crowd went on murmuring to themselves. The higher-ups, especially Sarutobi, did not know what to do. So he just remained silent. They didn't even bother questioning Pein and Tazuna. Most of them figured out that they were only representatives of Kushina. After fifteen minutes, the Hokage ordered for the exam to continue.

Hayate awkwardly walked to the middle of the stadium as he called for the crowd's attention.

"Er… Ehem… Yeah, um. We will now begin with the semi-finals of the event… For our first match, we will have a three way due to having one extra contestant. Will Fu Uzumaki, Taki of Taki, and Shino Aburame come down please?"

The three combatants jumped down and distanced themselves into a triangle, with the proctor in the middle.

"Are all three fighters ready? Good. Begin!"

"I'll kill you, you insect bitch." Taki told Fu as he uncorked a small vial and emptied its contents to his mouth.

"You're suicidal." Fu simply replied. Not even bothered that Taki had an extra vial and drank the hero's water. **_"Demon Containing Clone"_**

Another Fu came into existence and quickly headed towards Shino. The clone sprouted wings and let out a huge swarm of demonic bugs. What the crowd did not know, the clone was actually Chomei, the Seven Tailed Demon.

Shino planned on battling Fu first, as he thought she was weaker than Taki, but his bugs told him that Fu was more dangerous. Shino should team up with Taki and later fight him.

Taki, on the other hand, didn't even spare Shino a single glance nor a thought. His goal was to kill Fu, even if drinking the water kills him later. He didn't really care if Shino won the match.

The battle began.

Chomei's swarm clashed with Shino's. Since they were demonic, Shino's bugs could not handle demonic chakra. The Aburame wisely recalled his remaining bugs and thought of a new strategy. He had no choice but to try ninjutsu. If it didn't work, he'll have to forfeit. That is if his opponent lets him to. He's seen most of the Uzushio-nin kill almost everyone they fought with against.

Fu decided that she'll wait for Chomei to finish her battle with Shino, while she'll just dodge Taki's attacks.

Chomei flew higher and flapped her wings. **"Fairy Dust"**

Shino had no idea what is was about but decided he did not want to get hit by it. He jumped backwards but sensed something and rolled sideways. Another wave of fairy dust came towards him and he had no choice but to have his remaining bugs collide with it. He watched as his swarm drop to the ground, unmoving.

"They're not dead. They're just asleep." Said a voice from behind. "I have nothing against you Aburames. You should forfeit. I'd hate to kill you." Chomei's kunai pressed to his neck.

"Proctor, I forfeit." Said Shino. Chomei released him and watched as Taki chased after Fu.

 ** _"Fu, distract him while I prepare a tailed beast ball."_**

 ** _"What the hell, Chomei?"_** Interrupted Kurama.

 ** _"Sister, you can't do that. Try something else."_** Said Saiken.

 ** _"What else can I do? That foolish mortal is intoxicated with the Hero's Water. A water meant for jinchuurikis. Technically he's a raging ball of chakra. He's lost his mind. He was too focused on killing Fu that it consumed him."_**

 _"Let's just drain his chakra."_ Said Fu.

 ** _"That sounds better."_** Kurama agreed.

 ** _"Nooooo! A tailed beast ball sounds better! Blow shit up!"_** Whined Shukaku.

 _"I'll allow you to do that later, Shukaku. Let Fu do her fight."_ Said Gaara.

 ** _"Fine, fine. We're going to kill your father, right? We'll kill the Yondaime Kazekage for trying to have us killed! Wahahaha!"_**

 _"Chomei, distract him. I'll prepare the seals."_ Said Fu.

 ** _"Got it."_**

A few minutes of chasing later, Chomei lured Taki towards Fu, where she had prepared an array of seals.

Soon as Taki got inside the lines, the first seal activated, erecting a golden barrier. A second seal appeared forming a second barrier. A third seal appeared, this one glowing green. Immediately it did its job and absorbed Taki's huge chakra. He thrashed inside the barrier for a good three minutes before he felt the drain. A few more minutes later he felt himself becoming weaker. Due to the seal he was trapped at, the effect of drinking the Hero's Water came to him faster. A few moments later he dropped to the ground, dead.

"Winner: Fu Uzumaki!" Called Hayate. "Next match…!"

Everyone watched the screen. _"Karin Uzumaki vs Sai of Konoha"_

"Will both fighters come down?"

"Proctor-san." Called Sai. "I have seen Karin-san's fight earlier and have decided that I do not want to face such a dangerous opponent. Therefore I forfeit to the match."

Kiba, who haven't watched the replay of his match with Karin yet, shouted. "Ha! You afraid of her, pretty boy?"

"I am not, Kiba-san. I'm simply using my brain instead of my loudmouth." Sai replied calmly. His statement caused the crowd to remember Kiba's match earlier and burst into laughter.

Up in the special seats, one daimyo said, "A good shinobi knows when to fight and retreat. This Sai will get his promotion later." The others nodded and agreed.

The Sandaime, on the other hand, silently fumed to himself. His backup plan was failing. If the other genins fail, then Konoha wouldn't make it to the finals. He only had Torune left. Foo purposely let himself lose while Sai forfeited. _"Perhaps Danzo had issued a new task for them? Where is that one eye bastard anyway?"_

"Winner by forfeit: Karin Uzumaki!" Announced Hayate. "For our third match…"

 _"Hinata Uzumaki vs. Yakumo Kurama"_

"Proctor, I forfeit!" Shouted Yakumo.

"Sigh. Winner by forfeit: Hinata Uzumaki!"

"Two in a row…" Izumo commented.

"Next match, Neji Hyuuga vs Kidomaru of the Sound"

Kidomaru was about to jump down when he heard Hinata through the mental link. _"Kidomaru-san, please forfeit the match. I wish to fight Neji with him on full strength."_

The Sound nin sighed but agreed as he knew the match making for the finals will be rigged. "Proctor, I forfeit!"

"Damn, that's three in a row." Said Kotetsu.

The fifth and sixth match were also decided quickly. Sakon and Ukon and Sasuke won by forfeit against Kin and Dosu respectively.

The crowd were starting to wonder now if everyone's going to forfeit.

"Lucky number seven, oh, please don't forfeit…!" Sighed Hayate. "Seventh match, Yugito Nii and Torune of Konoha! Will both fighters come down? Or is someone planning to forfeit?"

Yugito and Torune jumped down, much to the delight of everyone. Torune knew that Yugito was a jinchuuriki and also a jounin of Kumo. So he wouldn't have to hold back, although he was still required to lose, as Naruto was supposed to fight her during the finals.

After a fifteen minute-long fight, Torune allowed himself to get hit and knocked out.

"Winner by knock out: Yugito Nii!"

"Eighth match: Gaara of the Sand vs Lee Uzumaki!"

Lee jumped down enthusiastically while Gaara walked casually.

"Are both fighters ready? Good. Begin!"

 **"Eight Inner Gates!"** Shouted Lee

The Konoha jounin senseis glanced at Guy while he watched Lee with a newfound interest.

 **"First Gate: Open!"**

 **"Second Gate: Open!"**

 **"Third Gate: Open!"**

 **"Fourth Gate: Open!"**

The crowd watched in amazement as Lee became covered by a red aura, his hair also reddish, making him look like a god of war.

"I see. Different colors for each gate." Gai muttered to himself.

"Why is that?" Asuma asked.

"He was taught by Uzumaki Kaze, I'm sure." Said Gai.

"Who's that?" Asked Kurenai.

"He's the only person who has opened up to the eighth gate and lived. He's also stronger than me, even at his age. He's fought alongside us during the war. At least that's before our Hokage decided to betray them… Anyway, if Lee's mastered the Eight Inner Gates like his sensei, then that makes me the third strongest taijutsu user alive. Kaze the strongest, Lee the second, and I, third."

"Amazing. He's that strong?"

"Yes."

Back to the match, Lee was currently at the offensive while Gaara was on the defensive. Lee was actually supposed to forfeit, but their senseis told them to proceed with the fight as Konoha will surely become suspicious of an invasion if they didn't.

Ten minutes later, Lee's fourth gate closed causing him to become slower. Gaara was now at the offensive. The two threw attacks on each other not actually meaning to harm, but to only impress those who were watching. When Lee's third gate closed, he allowed himself to get captured by Gaara's sand.

"Proctor, I forfeit!" Said Lee.

"Winner: Gaara of the Sand!"

"Ninth Match…! Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze vs Haruno Sakura!"

Sakura jumped down and began screaming. "Come down here, you blondie! Just because you're the son of the Yondaime it doesn't make you strong already! I am not scared of your mother! She's just a bully who thinks she can order us around!"

 _"Uh-oh."_ The Uzushio, Suna, and Oto nins thought. _"Insult him all the way and call him names, but not his family."_

Naruto took out a tri-pronged kunai and chucked it down the arena. In a flash of yellow he appeared in front of Sakura, spinning his kunai.

Everyone's jaws dropped to the floor as they gaped at the blonde. The Iwa nins, especially the Tsuchikage, were blinking rapidly the Raikage feared the old man might have a heart attack.

 _"Hi-Hiraishin…!"_

 _"He knows the Hiraishin!"_

 _"Truly, he is the son of the Yellow Flash."_

 _"Sensei…"_ Kakashi thought sadly as he stared at Naruto.

"Proctor, please begin the match." Naruto told Hayate, who was still gaping like a fish.

"R-right…! Ninth match, begin!"

Naruto did not waste any time and threw the kunai he was holding upwards. He took out another tri-pronged kunai and threw it towards Sakura.

Flash.

Naruto appeared beside Sakura and cut her throat.

Another flash.

Naruto reappeared to his standing position earlier as the kunai he threw upwards descended.

Blood gushed on Sakura's neck like a fountain. The banshee gurgled on her own blood and finally fell to the arena floor dead.

It was over. The match only lasted three seconds. It was the fastest match during the event, not counting the people who forfeited.

"Proctor, please call the match." Naruto said as he threw a kunai towards the seats. He reappeared beside his teammates in another flash.

"Well, fuck." Gai said as he stared at his student's corpse.

"Winner: Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze!"

The tenth and eleventh matches finished quickly as Tayuya forfeited, causing Kurotsuchi to win. Temari who was supposed to fight Sasame also forfeited because Sasuke also wanted to fight her at full strength.

The crowd did not even complain about the two more early forfeits as they were still shocked at Naruto's display of technique.

"Since most of the matches during the pre-finals have been won by forfeit, there will be no break. We will now begin with the final matches." Said Hataye.

The first match was another three-way, with Karin being the winner against Gaara and Sakon and Ukon.

The second match was Fu against Kurotsuchi. Holding nothing back, Fu won by killing the Tsuchikage's granddaughter.

"Third match: Neji Hyuuga vs Hinata Uzumaki."

The two combatants went down to the arena and glared at each other. After a few moments of intense silence, Neji spoke. "Hinata Uzumaki, I hereby challenge you to a duel. Do you accept?"

Hinata smirked. "I accept."

Hiashi jumped down on the arena floor and nodded to Hayate, taking his place as the match's referee.

 **Commentator's Box**

"Let us explain what a duel challenge is…" Said Izumo. "A duel is where both fighters fight to the death. There are no rules, no limits, and no backing out. They are allowed to use anything to kill their opponent."

"Clan Heirs and Clan Heads are allowed to challenge fellow clan members to a duel. The winner of the duel becomes the new head or heir/heiress of that clan. Since Hinata's also a Hyuuga from her fathers' side as well as former Hyuuga Heiress, she may still be challenged or challenge someone to a duel." Said Kotetsu.

 **Back to the Arena**

"There will be no rules, no limitations, and no backing out. The only way to finish the match is to kill your opponent. The winner will be declared clan heir or heiress. Begin the duel." Said Hiashi before he jumped to the stands.

Neji glared at Hinata as he crossed his arms. "For years I've waited for this moment." He started.

 _"Oh my god. Not again!"_ Screamed Naruto mentally.

"For years I've trained myself to exhaustion…" Neji began with his fifteen minute-long monologue telling everyone about Fate, about the Hyuuga clan, about his life, about his father's death, about his training regime to avenge his father, while at the same time insulting Hinata calling her derogatory names. Neji also insulted Kushina and Uzushiogakure for adopting Hinata.

Up in the stands, Karin, Shion, Yakumo, Temari, and Kin were hugging, caressing, and squeezing Naruto to calm him down. In the jounin stands, Mio and Miho could feel their little brother's increasing blood lust. Neji was delivering a fifteen minute-long monologue while at the same time insulting Hinata, who was family to them and worse, he was now insulting their mother and their homeland.

 _"Fu, Gaara, stay close to Naruto. Get ready to restrain him if things escalate."_ Said Mio.

 ** _"This is bad…"_** Said Saiken. **_"Shukaku and Chomei combined is only eight tails worth. We need to get closer to Naruto."_**

 _"Umm, mother? What are we going to do?"_ Miho contacted Kushina.

 _"Drag him outside the stadium for the meantime. However, the army's on standby. If Naruto goes berserk now we'll launch the attack. Neji will be the first one to die by his hands, that I am sure."_

 _"I better attack him now while he's still absorbed with his monologue."_ Hinata thought as he glared at Neji, whose eyes were closed for added effect. Apparently he wasn't done speaking yet.

Sasuke decided that he'll be the one to drag Naruto off the stadium. He created a reinforced clone and had it take his place while he took Naruto out to calm down.

Hinata closed her eyes and when she opened them again, gone were the lavender pale eyes of the Byakugan. Her eyes were now light blue, a white lotus pattern surrounding her small iris. **_"Tenseigan!"_** With only pure speed, she reappeared behind Neji and kicked him on the upper spine, sending him flying.

Halfway on the air, she reappeared on top and elbowed him, making him crash to the arena floor.

"I did not accept your duel challenge just so I could listen to your sob story. If you're so eager meeting your father, then I'll gladly send you to him." Hinata said coldly.

Up in the stands, Hiashi was surprised. The Hinata he was watching was different from the one he banished. This new Hinata was cold, direct, and vicious.

Back to the match, Hinata once again closed the distance and attacked Neji with a palm strike. Neji countered it with a palm strike of his own.

Finally their match officially began as Neji activated his Byakugan and went to attacking Hinata. The girl purposely slowed down to give her opponent a false sense of victory. Their taijutsu battle lasted for more than five minutes. During the exchange of blows, Hinata was tapping Neji's chakra points without him feeling it. Abruptly, she jumped away from her opponent and threw a barrage of explosive kunai.

Neji saw the projectiles coming and gathered chakra to his feet and palms. **"Rotation!"**

The Hyuuga who were watching with their Byakugan activated noticed that Neji used up three times more chakra than the normal required amount for the rotation.

While the Gentle Fist did was close a target's chakra points, Hinata's technique, as she called it **Bursting Needles** , forces the target's chakra points to open wider and release thrice the chakra a jutsu normally requires.

Neji felt winded. He did not understand why. He glared at his opponent and noticed her chakra points still open. "So, you can open them even during a fight. Whatever, you're fated to lose."

What Neji didn't know, he never closed his opponent's chakra points. Hitomi was able to develop a way to counter the gentle fist and taught it to Hinata. The user of the said technique creates a double layer of chakra to block off the jyuuken's attacks. While it may sound simple, it requires great control and concentration. The mechanics of the technique was the opposite concept of water walking. The user has to make their coat of chakra flow constantly in order to disperse the foreign chakra the gentle fist user implants.

Hinata kept an impassive look and threw a second barrage of explosive kunai at her opponent, forcing Neji to use rotation once again.

At this moment Neji's facial expression told everyone that he was winded. Hinata then decided to finish him off and closed the distance.

"You shouldn't have come close to me… You are within my Range of Divination…" Declared Neji as he went into a familiar stance, ignoring the sudden loss of half of his chakra reserves.

 _"Finally."_ Hinata thought.

 **"Eight Trigrams: One Hundred and Twenty-Eight Palms!"** Neji proclaimed.

 _"Good. Just what I wanted."_ Hinata thought as she stood at a stance similar to Neji's.

 _"Let's see if you can survive this…_ _ **Meridian Acupuncture: Three Hundred and Eighty-Four Needles!"**_

"Two Palms!" Neji shouted as he began tapping Hinata's chakra points.

 ** _"Six Needles!"_** Hinata countered and returned Neji's number of hits three times more, her speed also three times faster than Neji.

"Four Palms!"

 ** _"Twelve Needles!"_**

"Eight Palms!"

 ** _"Twenty-Four Needles!"_**

"Sixteen Palms!"

 ** _"Forty-Eight Needles!"_**

"Thirty-Two Palms!"

 ** _"Ninety-Six Needles!"_**

"Sixty-Four Palms!"

 ** _"One Hundred and Ninety-Two Needles!"_**

"One Hundred and Twenty-Eight Palms!"

 ** _"Three Hundred and Eighty-Four Needles!"_**

The two finished and jumped away from each other. To those who were watching, Neji was a blur while Hinata seemed to become invisible. To those with the Sharingan, they saw Neji move at a slow pace while Hinata was a quick blur.

Neji looked smugly at Hinata. "This match is over. I've closed your tenketsu points. When you go down, I shall cut off your head and… What-?" He stopped as he coughed out copious amounts of blood and felt his insides contracting. Byakugan still active, he looked at Hinata and noticed her smirking, her chakra points working normally and open. He looked at his hands and noticed something blue leaking.

"Wha-! What is this? What have you done?!" Neji asked in panic as he coughed more blood. _"I… I can't move…!"_

Up in the stands, the Hyuuga Elders and Hiashi squinted with their Byakugan active.

"He's bleeding." Said Hiashi. "He's bleeding chakra out and also suffering internal hemorrhage. How is that possible?"

Those who heard him murmured to themselves and wondered the same.

"Hey, look!" Someone pointed at Hinata. They were too fixated on Neji they didn't notice Hinata cloak herself with purple chakra.

Matatabi and Gyuuki shared the same thought as they watched through their hosts' eyes… **_"Those eyes… Uncle Hamura… Hinata Uzumaki's inherited the Tenseigan."_**

Hinata floated in the air, her chakra cloak giving her the aura of a goddess. She spread out her arms and a purple **Truth-Seeking Orb** appeared.

"Remember this, Hyuuga. My eyes are far superioir than yours. Challenging me to a duel was irresponsible. I'll do you a favor by having you meet your father."

"Father…" Neji murmured as he laid on the ground, dying.

Hinata sent the orb flying towards Neji. The blast radius was as big as Naruto's Rasenshuriken. The arena became flooded with white light as the explosion occurred.

When it died down, Hinata could be seen walking towards a crater eight meters deep, her chakra cloak now turned off, her eyes also back to their normal lavender pale. Neji's remains could be seen on the bottom of the crater. A piece of metal of his forehead protector. That's what was left of him.

Hiashi once again jumped down and looked at Hinata.

"The winner of this duel is Hinata." Declared Hiashi to the crowd and then looked at her. "As per duel laws, you are hereby acknowledged as the new heiress to the Hyuuga Clan. As the head of the clan, I bid you congratulations-"

"Cut the crap." Hinata interrupted. "I do not want the title. I could care less about your stupid laws. I care about the Hyuuga Clan neither. You can go kill yourselves. I'm not affiliated with you." She icily said as she walked back towards her seat.

Hayate awkwardly made his presence known, wordlessly asking Hiashi to give the floor to him once again. Hiashi looked at his daughter with pain and regret before he jumped back to the Hyuuga seats.

"Winner of the match is Hinata Uzumaki. The third match will be Sasuke Uzumaki against Sasame Uchiha. Will both fighters come down please?"

The two combatants jumped down and glared at each other.

"Are both fighters ready?"

"Bring it on." Said Sasame.

Sasuke nodded.

"Very well. Let the match begin!" Hayate shouted and then jumped to the stands.

"Your friends and teammates killed mine. I shall avenge them by killing you." Sasame proclaimed.

"Yeah, sure."

"I'm going to humiliate you with the world watching."

"Mmm, 'kay."

"I will-"

"Talk me to death." Sasuke finished. "Yeah, it appears that you're channeling Neji's spirit."

"The Hyuuga had it coming. He was too full of himself."

"And you're not?"

Sasame simply glared, her sharingan activating.

"So… are we going to actually fight or do you intend to go on a monologue until I finally kill myself? I should warn you though, it won't be easy."

Sasame finally got annoyed of Sasuke's remarks and threw a barrage of kunai and shuriken at him. Sasuke deflected them all with a kunai of his own.

 **"Fire Style: Grand Fireball!"** Sasame spat.

Sasuke held out his hand and absorbed it.

 _"A fire absorption seal."_ Thought Jiraiya, who was sitting beside the Hokage.

Sasame spat another fireball, but Sasuke simply absorbed it again with his seal.

"I see. You fight now like an Uzumaki."

"What can I say? Fuinjutsu is a great art. And technically I'm an Uzumaki now, since the Uchiha banished me."

 **"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Technique!"** Yelled Sasame.

Sasuke simply absorbed it.

"Fight me, damn it! Fight me!" Yelled Sasame in frustration as she charged at him for a taijutsu battle.

For the next three minutes Sasame chased after her opponent with kicks and punches but never managed to land a hit. Sasuke was doing a great job evading all her attacks.

Once again Sasame spat another fireball that only got sealed.

She closed her eyes in frustration and opened them again, her Mangekyou now active.

"I can still catch you… **Tsukiyomi!** "

Sasuke purposely stared at her eyes. A second later, Sasame dropped to the floor screaming.

"What?! Why is it not working! How did you force yourself out?!" She yelled, causing Itachi and Fugaku to eye Sasuke suspiciously.

"Hehe. Well, you see…" Sasuke began to explain.

"Sorry I'm late!" A voice shouted, its owner running towards the middle of the arena.

Hayate jumped down from the stands. "What? Why…?"

The newcomer scratched his head. "You see, I had to drag Naruto outside the arena to keep him from murdering Neji. He's just calmed down and we returned here…"

"Fine. You may continue with the match." Said Hayate as he returned to the stands.

"I see you tried using the Tsukiyomi but failed." Sasuke said as he dispelled the clone, his eyes closed. "The real match begins now."

 _"I've been fighting a clone all along? I see… I guess that explains why the Tsukiyomi did not work."_

Sasame waited for him to open his eyes. She will try again with the tsukiyomi **.**

"Let us test how powerful your Mangekyou is, shall we, Sasame?" Sasuke opened his eyes, shocking everyone, instead of the normal sharingan eyes, there were six pointed stars.

 **"Amaterasu."**

Instinct saved Sasame from the black flames. She evaded the attack but still stared at her opponent in shock.

"I awakened these eyes six years ago." Sasuke told her. "I've mastered the Tsukiyomi, Susanoo, Amaterasu, and Kamui. The eyes you're staring at, are my Eternal Mangekyou. I'll give you the honor of fighting my… **Susanoo"**

A purple colossus took on the form of a Tengu with wings, wielding a bow and arrow. Sasuke was inside the crystal at the head of the avatar.

"I-impossible!" Fugaku gasped.

"A perfect Susanoo!" Itachi exclaimed. _"He's only thirteen! And I just perfected mine!"_

The purple colossus loaded an arrow and aimed at Sasame. "Dodge this!" Sasuke said as he released the shot.

Sasame used a replacement jutsu on a nearby log, saving her from the attack. She had to rollover as another arrow sailed past her head, missing her a few inches.

For the next five minutes Sasuke fired arrow after arrow at Sasame, not really bothered that she was dodging and evading it. The jounins could see he was toying with her. Sasame was outclassed. Her runaway brother was on a different league.

"Feeling tired yet? Of course not. Let's see if you can dodge these… These flames, after all, are faster than my arrows… **Amaterasu."**

With a quick series of handseals, Sasame slammed her hands on the ground and erected an earth wall. It stood for a few seconds before it got consumed by the flames. However, it gave her enough time space and was able to escape.

Everywhere Sasuke stared and focused, the black flames of the Amaterasu appeared and consumed.

Up in the stands, Fugaku was thinking fast. He loved his daughter. He had to do something. But that would mean Sasame forfeiting the match. But if he did not interfere, she'll eventually get caught and die.

 **"Summoning Technique!"** Fugaku was interrupted from his thoughts as the toad boss summon appeared in a huge puff of smoke.

 **"What did you call me for you brat?"** The toad glared at the human standing on top of his head.

"INCOMING!" Sasame shrieked.

 **"What the-?!"** Gamabunta was able to counter the flames, but at the cost of his dual blades.

 **"Why the hell are you fighting Madara? What is he doing here?!"**

"I feel honored, Gamabunta-sama, for mistaking me for my ancestor. However, I am not him. I simply resemble him a lot." Said Sasuke atop of the Susanoo.

 **"I do not know you, do I? Who are you?"**

"Ah, of course they wouldn't tell you about me. After all, I am an outcast. But if you must know, my name is Sasuke Uzumaki. Former Sasuke Uchiha. I'm your summoner's twin. As for me knowing you… Let's just say I have a friend whose close friends with Watatsumi-sama." Sasuke said as he dispelled his Susanoo's bow and arrow. This time, he drew two katanas.

 **"That explains why you know me. Watatsumi-sama knows all boss summon."**

 _"I'm going to borrow your line, my friend…"_ Said Sasuke.

 _"Yeah, whatever. You're the Uchiha anyway."_

Sasuke smirked. "Let's dance."

Gamabunta could only widen his eyes as he remembered the man who used to say those words. **"Have you ever met him on person or something?"** The toad asked as he parried the Susanoo's strikes.

"Hmmm, nope. Not telling." Sasuke said.

"Is your summoner going to do something or will you do all the dodging for her? You have limited time, right?" Sasuke asked as he made a double swing. "Or I could just dispel you early."

Soon as Sasuke said it, the Susanoo's swords became coated with the black flames of the Amaterasu.

Sasuke chased after the toad as he pressed on with the offensive. Gamabunta could only jump away as he could not risk burning his remaining swords. The boss toad tried jumping towards the Susanoo and managed to kick it a few meters back.

 **"Hey, brat. Get moving. You also have those eyes, right? Use them damn it!"**

Gamabunta parried in reflex an Amaterasu arrow. Sasuke's went back on ranged mode.

Sasame's eyes bled as she shut them, concentrating.

 **"Susanoo!"**

At the last second, a skeletal torso appeared and shielded both her and Gamabunta from a second arrow.

 **"Nice save, brat. But you should have done it earlier. Now I'm out of blades. It's time for us to counterattack!"**

 **"Kamui!"**

A black vortex ripped opened a part of Sasame's Susanoo, allowing another Amaterasu arrow to get in. It hit Gamabunta in the hind and had no choice but to dispel himself.

Sasuke's Susanoo once again drew his double katana and charged at Sasame's incomplete Susanoo.

As he brought down his swords for the killing blow, a blue and orange Susanoo rose and absorbed the attacks, making some of the crowd gasp.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes as his left sword was held back by Itachi's katana while his right was blocked by Fugaku's shield.

"The girl had outside help. Does that mean the boy wins?" An Iwa jounin asked.

"I'm really not sure how Konoha clan laws work. Perhaps the battle is now three against one." Replied a Grass jounin.

The jounin senseis watched as Mio and Miho took out a tri pronged kunai and threw it down the arena. A red and blue flash later, they were beside Sasuke's Susanoo standing atop of a red and blue dragon respectively.

"Three against three." Said an amused Kumo jounin.

"This is not good." Said Ibiki. He nodded at Hayate, Genma, and Raido, who jumped down to the arena.

"This match is over. Sasuke wins as Sasame had outside help." Declared Ibiki.

With a final glare, Sasuke released the pressure on his swords, but kept his Susanoo active.

Sasame's rescuers deactivated their Susanoo and bowed. Itachi practically dragged his sister out of the arena while Fugaku remained.

Mio and Miho unsummoned their dragons but stayed beside Sasuke, who have also deactivated his avatar.

Hayate cleared his throat, calling the attention of everyone. "Due to the match being interrupted, Sasame is automatically forfeited. Sasuke Uzumaki wins the match!"

Sasuke then walked away and went back to his seat. Fugaku was deep in thought as he walked back to his. Mio and Miho Hiraishined back to the jounin stands, ignoring the gaping looks of the other senseis.

"You… You can do the Hiraishin too." Kakashi told the two, he was practically having a panic attack.

Naruto began his descend to the arena. Yugito, who was watching him, did the same.

"Eh, you're here…" Hayate raised his eyebrow at Naruto.

"The fourth match is over… Time for the fifth match."

"Oh. Hehe. Right. FIFTH MATCH! NARUTO UZUMAKI-NAMIKAZE VERSUS YUGITO NII!" Roared Hayate. Calling the attention of the crowd.

The crowd cheered as they looked forward to another exciting match.

"Are both fighters ready? Good. Begin!"

"Let me show you my art." Naruto said as he held out his arms. From his sleeves came out dozens of papers and folded itself into cranes. "Level one."

Like Konan, Naruto can now also produce his own papers using his chakra. His was stronger due to his Mokuton affinity, and cannot be easily burned.

Yugito spit out balls of flames as Naruto sent the paper cranes flying towards her, stopping them midflight.

 _"Ah, I see he's decided to play cat and mouse."_ Sasuke said.

 _"Was that intended? Is that because I'm fighting against a cat?"_ Retorted Naruto.

 _"You're the cat in this match, though, Naruto-kun."_ Said Hinata.

 _"I'm simply going to test her strength. I do not wish to kill her."_

 _"You're not seriously planning on recruiting her to our side, are you?"_ Asked Sasuke.

 _"Actually, I am."_

 _"Don't you have enough girls already?"_

 _"But she's what, seven or more years older!"_ Said Shion.

 _"We're not sharing you with her."_ Karin added.

 _"Yeah."_ Agreed Hinata.

 _"What the hell are you girls talking about?"_ Naruto asked as he sent another flock of cranes to his opponent.

This time, Yugito concentrated chakra on her hands, her fingernails growing into long claws. She sliced the paper cranes as she quickly noticed earlier that they were resistant to fire.

Yugito glared as she spit out more fireballs to intercept the paper cranes, while slicing the remaining others that got past.

"Level two."

Yugito could only tell that his opponent's attacks will increase in damage, quantity, and speed.

 ** _"Kitten, he's added nature manipulation to his origami."_** Said her demon.

This time Naruto made paper shuriken coated with wind chakra, aiming to cut his opponent.

 _"Lightning is weak against wind. I'm going to need stronger fire, Matatabi."_

 **"Fire Style: Mouse Hairball!"**

 _"Good. Call out to your biju's chakra."_ Thought Naruto.

Naruto sent out three more waves before he decided to increase to level three. Both he and Yugito were still in good shape.

As for the battle, the nibi jinchuurki was still on the defensive, waiting for the right moment to pounce on her enemy.

"You shall know that art…" Naruto said as he released more papers and folded them into dragons. The dragons were much faster than the previous level. "IS A BLAST!" The dragons hit their target.

 **"Katsu!"**

The dragons exploded soon as they reached Yugito. Smoke covered the area she was standing on. The crowd thought that the battle was over. But Naruto knew it was just beginning. He smiled as the smoke dispersed and saw his opponent cloaked with demon chakra.

 **Outside Konoha**

 **Forests**

"Yugito-sama has entered stage one!" A Kumo commander yelled.

"Get ready! The invasion will begin soon!" Said an Iwa commander.

 **Shores**

"All troops exit the ships! Yugito-sama has entered stage one!" Yelled a Kumo captain.

"You heard him, go!" Yelled a Kiri captain.

 **Back to the arena**

"Here, kitty kitty." Said Naruto as he held out his hand, holding an origami fish.

Up in the stands, Sasuke giggled like mad, making Hinata, Shion, Karin, Yakumo, Temari, and Kin glare at him.

The others who were aware of Yugito's status as the Nibi Jinchuuriki could not help but also snicker. Even Killer Bee found it amusing, as he took down notes.

 **"Grr! Raaaa!"** Yugito roared as she finally charged at her opponent. Her claws out, she aimed to dice Naruto.

Naruto's plan was to make her angrier, making Yugito take the form of the Nibi faster.

"The kitty is hungry. Perhaps you'd like some milk?"

Kazahana Koyuki, who was watching at her mansion, blushed red. Obviously giving meaning to Naruto's words.

"How about some wood?" Shouted Naruto, making the girls blush.

 **A hundred kilometers away from Konoha**

"Art is a blast! Muwahahahaha!" Deidera madly cackled. Soon, he would also show Konoha his art.

Konan smirked as her paper butterflies flew around her frantically.

"Yugito's entering stage two. Get the engines running. I repeat, get the engines running. We're moving in." Yahiko said through the ship's intercom.

The Uzumaki fleet began its approach to Konoha.

 **Back to the arena**

 **"Wood Release: Wooden Spikes!"**

 ** _"Kitten, watch out!"_**

Wooden spikes erected from the ground, almost impaling Yugito.

"Hahaha! Come! Show me your inner cat!" Taunted Naruto.

 _"Inner cat?"_ Thought the Uzushio, Suna, and Oto teams. Sasuke fell to his chair giggling, as well as the others.

 _"Damn perverts."_

 _"Oh, Naruto-kun, I'm going to show you my cat."_ Thought some of the girls.

"Mokuton! The boy has mokuton!" Yelled Sarutobi, who was still in shock like the rest of the crowd. Everyone, as in everyone, except of Uzushio, Suna, and Oto stared in shock at the arena or at the screen. Orochimaru was trying his best not to laugh. The look on his fellow kages was just hilarious.

 ** _"Yugito, even though biju are weak against Mokuton, we'll have a small chance of defeating him if you call forth all my chakra and transform!"_** Matatabi yelled to her host.

 _"Small chance? We're that outmatched?"_

 ** _"I'll tell you more about the Wood Release later. For now, focus on staying conscious!"_**

"Finally! You're out!" Naruto happily shouted as he sped into hand seals. _"This should keep her unconscious for three hours. Guys, get ready to knock out Bee. He'll probably jump down to help her."_

His prediction true, the Raikage whispered to his bodyguard to tell Bee to help Yugito.

 **"Wood Release: Wood Golem!"** Shouted Naruto as he slammed both his hands to the ground. A wood golem twice the size of the Nibi rose from the ground and immediately punched the cat demon.

"Mokuton!" Repeated the Hokage, his eyes threatening to fall from their sockets.

 **"Mokuton: Hotei no Jutsu (Wood Release: Hotei Technique!)"**

Nine wooden hands erupted from the ground and grabbed the Nibi. Two hands held down the tails, while the third held the hind. The four other hands held each leg. The eighth and ninth hand held down the body and neck. The cat demon thrashed as it tried to break free.

Naruto, who was standing atop the wood golem, made it walk towards the restrained Nibi. Once again he did the seals for a jutsu.

 **"Hokage-Shiki Jijun Jutsu – Kakuan Nitten Suishu (Hokage Style Elder Jutsu: Kakuan's Tenth Edict on Enlightenment)"**

The kanji for "sit" appeared on the palm of the wood golem's outstretched hand and held the Nibi's head.

Immediately the Nibi stopped fighting and calmed down. The chakra subsided and returned Yugito to her level two form. Naruto felt a huge chakra spike but ignored it and focused on Yugito.

Bee was already on his tailed beast form when he dropped to the arena floor, causing a minor earthquake. He was about to interrupt Naruto when multiple golden chains caught him. He turned around and saw Karin, Miho, and Tayuya holding him back.

 ** _"Bee, watch out!"_** Gyuki warned. Bee felt a chakra spike but was too late as something heavy punched his face.

"Hey, what the heck was that, yow? Utakata-san's also a jinchuuriki, but why didn't we feel it, yow?"

Utakata was at level two, he roared and attacked Bee's bull-octopus form.

Up in the kage box, the Tsuchikage was stunned. The Mizukage was pretending to look surprised. The Raikage was livid.

"DAMN IT! SOMEONE HELP THEM!" Ay roared.

The Uzushio, Suna, and Oto teams was already at the arena floor before the Raikage called for the invasion. They immediately set up a barrier to keep enemy forces from interrupting.

It only took less than ten seconds to finally subdue both Yugito and Bee. They had chakra suppression seals and restriction seals slapped on their bodies. Mio and Miho put their bodies in a separate sealing scroll. After that, they all held hands and were gone in a flash.

"Yugito and Bee's job are passed on to Han and Roshi now." Mei told Ohnoki.

"ATTACK NOW! ATTACK! KILL THE KONOHA POPULACE! WE'LL ERADICATE WHIRLPOOL NEXT!" An angry Ay bellowed, his lightning armor activated.

Soon as the Raikage gave the order, explosions around the village were heard. The combined forces of Kumo, Iwa, and Kiri have begun the siege.

 **Chapter Twenty End**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **1\. I really don't have anything else to say aside from review, favorite, and follow to receive updates.**

 **2\. Omakes number one and two's been on my mind ever since I came up with the idea of the mental link... And so I can't help but write it here. Disclaimer: I'm not promoting Randy Orton.**

 **Omake One:**

 **Forest of Death**

 _"I hear voices in my head they council me they understand, they talk to me. They talk to meeee!"_ Naruto finished.

He was bored. They have the required items for them to pass as well as nine extras. They were simply waiting for the proctors to lead them out of the forest. He could hear his friends talking to each other in the mental link as well as Kurama talking with the other biju.

He started singing again... _"I hear voices in my head they-"_

 _"Fuck!"_ Screamed Hinata.

 _"They fuck?"_ Sasuke repeated, snickering.

 _"Naruto-kun, you've been singing the same song ever since this morning!"_ She complained.

 _"But it fits! We're all talking. We understand each other. And now you're counseling me!"_ Naruto replied.

 _"I think it's good..."_ Said Sasuke.

 _"Of course you'd agree with him. You're his best friend."_ Said Hinata.

 _"I hear voices crying, I see heroes dying. I taste blood that's drying-"_

 _"Ew!"_

 **Omake Two:**

 **Konoha Arena**

"Next match is Naruto-Uzumaki Namikaze against Yugito Nii!" Announced Hayate.

Yugito jumped down from the stands and waited for her opponent.

Three minutes later, Naruto still hasn't come down.

"Where is Naruto?" Asked Hayate. "Will his teammates please contact him and let him know it's his match now?"

In the stands, Hinata and the others were also wondering where Naruto was. Sasuke was also missing, they noticed.

"Naruto-san will be given five minutes before he is disqualified." Announced the proctor.

Just then, the lights in the stadium went off. The technicians also lost control of the speakers. A few moments later the speakers boomed, playing a song. Hinata and the others palmed their faces as they recognized the song.

"I HEAR VOICES IN MY HEAD THEY COUNCIL ME THEY UNDERSTAND, THEY TALK TO ME!"

A spotlight focused on one of the arena doors. There were some fireworks before the door opened, revealing Naruto. He was topless and was wearing a spandex pants. The music continued playing as he walked on the center of the arena and faced Yugito, who was blinking stupidly.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" A voice said in the speakers. "FROM UZUSHIOGAKURE, I GIVE YOU... UZUMAKI-NAMIKAZE NARUTOOOOO!"

It turns out that Sasuke was the one speaking and the one controlling the spotlight. Somehow, he managed to sneak inside the control room and play 'Voices'.

 **Omake Three:**

"You should give up." Neji told Hinata.

The Hyuuga Heir closed his eyes as he delivered his monologue. One hour later, he finished talking and opened his eyes. When he did, he finally noticed the silent crowd. He looked around and found everyone passed out.

Neji walked towards Hayate who was sprawled on the floor. He tapped him with chakra to wake him.

Hayate rubbed his eyes like a child and yawned. He looked at Neji. "Is it over?"

"Is what over?"

"The match?"

"No. It's just about to start. Please wake her up." Neji pointed at Hinata, who was sleeping on a bed. Where did Hinata get the bed Neji didn't know.

Hayate walked towards the girl and woke her. Hinata rubbed her eyes like a child and yawned. "Huh?"

"Time to start the match."

Hinata pulled something from both her ears and asked again. Hayate recognized the things as earplugs.

"I said, it's time to start the match."

"Oh. Right." Hinata replied as she went on a stance.

Hayate used Iruka's big head jutsu to wake up the sleeping crowd. After that, he looked at the combatants.

"Are both fighters ready?"

"Yes. Let's do this." Said Hinata.

Neji simply nodded.

"Good. Begin!"

"Since you fell asleep earlier, I'm going to give you the chance to hear what I've said. Since I'm a good person..." Neji closed his eyes once again and delivered his hour-long monologue. Hinata sighed as she took out her earplugs and went back to sleep.

Up in the stands, Naruto was crying anime tears.

"Why, Kami, why?!" Naruto demanded as he looked up at the heavens.


	21. War Guide

**Here's your teaser. Chapter 21 will be uploaded within 24 hrs.**

 **War Guide**

 **Army sizes and weaponry**

 **Konohagakure**

Infantry - 50,000

Defensive Structures (towers, giant crossbows, cannons, traps, etc) - 12,000

 **Kumogakure**

Infantry - 30,000

Ships - 50

 **Iwagakure**

Infantry - 30,000

 **Kirigakure**

Infantry - 20,000

Ships - 200

 **Madara's Army**

100,000 White Zetsu

30,000 Mercenaries

 **Sunagakure**

Infantry - 30,000

 **Otogakure**

Infantry - 15,000

 **Uzushiogakure**

Infantry - Roughly 100,000 (ship personnel not included)

-Breakdown:

Led by Minako - 25,000

Led by Narumi - 25,000

Led by Nagato - 30,000 (21,600 are at the ships. The remaining are with the main fleet during the first wave)

Led by Kaede - 20,000

Machinery - 442

-Breakdown:

Tanks - 120

Airships - 120

Warships - 161 (Command Ship - 1 ;Battleships - 120 ;Carriers - 40)

 **Short Descriptions for the ff:**

Command Ship \- Manned by 800. Has very long range cannons. Can carry 8 tanks and 4 airships. Can carry up to 4,000 personnel.

Battleships \- Manned by 200. Has medium to long range cannons. Can carry up to 800 personnel.

Airships \- Manned by 20. Has long range cannons. Can carry up to 200 personnel. Can carry 1 tank.

Carriers \- Manned by 100. Can carry 12 tanks and 12 airships. Can carry up to 2,000 personnel.

Tanks \- Manned by 8. Has medium to long range cannons.


	22. Chapter 21: Zetsu's Flaw

**To my readers: On my honor, I will NEVER ABANDON any of my works. I might take a month or two to update but I will NEVER ABANDON the stories I'm writing. Only when I die I won't be able to update. If I don't update in three months, then that means I'm dead.**

Just some early notes and reminders to avoid confusion...

 **1\. Here are the following terms for the ANBU of each country...**

Uzu - STORM

Oto - NOTE

Suna - Suna ANBU

Konoha - Konoha ANBU

Kiri - MIST

Kumo - BOLT

Iwa - ROCK

 **2\. The appearance of Mei when she's still leading Kiri is different when she finally joins Uzushio. I've made a mistake of not mentioning this in the previous chapters. I apologize for that. I will be fixing it when I'm done with Chapter 24.**

To those who are confused about Mei, let me clarify some things... Mei Terumi was the name she used when she was still pretending to be a Kiri-nin as well as Godaime Mizukage. She was never loyal to Kiri. She only joined Kiri after the Kumo-Iwa-Kiri Alliance attacked Uzushiogakure. Her appearance is like in the canon.

The Mei Uzumaki's appearance now is this... Her face still looks like the one from canon, except her cheeks. They are round and cute like Kushina's. Her hair is also as red as Kushina's and is straight. It doesn't look like a Christmas tree anymore.

 **Chapter Twenty-One: The Zetsus' Overlooked Flaw**

 **Konohagakure**

Chaos. That's the obvious description on what's happening in the village.

Unbeknownst to both attackers and defenders, the telecast was still ongoing, as it was already hacked by the Uzumaki techs and could not be turned off by the Leaf. And so the viewers all around the Elemental Nations were watching a war on television, only this time it was live and was actually happening. There wasn't anyone acting. People were really dying. Everyone's eyes were glued to their screens and kept on watching. Even if they wanted to, the viewers cannot avert their eyes nor turn of their television. The battle had been raging for ten minutes now.

The invading armies; Kumo, Iwa, and Kiri, flooded the streets as they brought death and mayhem to the people of Konoha. Much to the defenders' confusion, the attackers were able to breach the village easily. Unknown to both attackers and defenders, another party was responsible for taking down the Leaf's defenses.

The Raikage immediately tried killing the Hokage soon as the invasion began. The Tsuchikage went off to personally inform Han and Roshi of their news roles, due to Yugito and Bee's kidnapping. While this was happening, the Mizukage left without anyone noticing.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was having multiple thoughts in his mind. He wondered how the enemy forces managed to surprise them when he was sure he made all preparations to keep an invasion from happening. Another thing that was bothering him was the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki's participation with the exams, when he already knew that the Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze was that same Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze from the bingo books.

 _"How come I let the demon brat participate when I'm already aware that it's SS-Ranked? How come nobody approached me about letting it join the event? Did they catch us with a very strong genjutsu? But how? And when?"_

And the thing that bothered him most was Uzushiogakure's existence. How they managed to deceive them all, and how the Uzumakis learned of their dirty secrets.

 _"There is a traitor in our midst. But who?"_

He was brought from his musings when his battle senses warned him of danger. Sarutobi dodged an elbow attack from the Raikage, who was now coated with lightning armor.

 **"Kuchiyose no Jutsu! (Summoning Technique!)"**

The Hokage quickly slammed his palm on the ground and summoned his partner, Monkey King: Enma.

 **"I see. An invasion."** The summon quickly understood soon as he saw the village's current state.

"Yes. Enma, I need you to keep him occupied while I prepare it."

 **"You're really summoning them? You know that crosses the line! You'll be breaking the Order of Life and Death!"** Enma shouted as he attacked Ay to let his summoner prepare.

"Drastic times call for drastic measures. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm already old. The Leaf is fighting against three villages. What's worse is that three more villages might decide to participate with the Leaf's destruction."

 **"Kumo, Iwa, and Kiri. They're the ones currently here. What are the other three?"**

"Suna, Oto, and Uzushio. I'll explain about them later."

 **"I see. The consequences of your actions have finally come back to bite you."**

"Don't lecture me about this. I only did it for the best of the village."

 ** _"Did you really? Or was everything for your own personal agendas?"_** Enma asked in his mind as he glared at Hiruzen. **"Fine. Whatever. Do what you must. I'll keep the Raikage occupied."**

"Thank you." The Hokage replied as he made a distance and performed a long set of hand seals.

 **"Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei! (Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation!)"**

Thunk.

Thunk.

Thunk.

Three coffins rose from the ground with the labels, 'Shodai', 'Ni', and 'Yon' respectively. The lids opened and the now reanimated people walked out from it. Much to everyone's surprise, the third coffin was empty.

"Brother, you should have listened to me when I told you to erase this jutsu from existence. How does it feel being under the effects of your creation?" Hashirama asked as he walked out of his coffin.

"Why ask me when you're also under its' effects?" Tobirama replied as he too stepped out of his casket.

"You're impossible." The Shodaime Hokage muttered as he rolled his eyes. "I'm starting to agree with Mito-chan now… You really were high that time when you made this jutsu. Honestly, a reanimation jutsu for your cat Tora?"

The Nidaime only snorted as he now faced his summoner and glared at him as best as he can.

"Hiruzen! You, Danzo, Homura, and Koharu have fallen low. I'm very disappointed in you…"

"Yes, we know everything. We kept watch of the village even in the afterlife. You have lost your 'Will of Fire.'" Added the Shodaime.

The Sandaime did not respond but formed a handseal, effectively silencing the two kages and making them immobile. He finally completed the jutsu by placing the seals on them.

The two became able of movement again but had blank expressions on their faces.

 _"What happened? Why can't I summon the Fourth?"_ Sarutobi thought as he glared at Ay and Ohnoki. He was now wielding Enma who have taken his staff form.

The Raikage and Tsuchikage stared in shock as they watched the Shodaime and Nidaime Hokage went on their battle stances.

Ay ceased attacking Enma soon as he saw three coffins rise from the ground. Ohnoki arrived on time to witness the Sandaime Hokage summon his predecessors from the dead.

"This is bad. Where the hell is the Mizukage?" The Raikage demanded as he increased his lightning armor to its second level.

"I do not know. I thought she was fighting alongside you." Replied the Tsuchikage.

 **Elemental Nations**

Everyone watching had various reactions with the Sandaime Hokage that did something that was considered taboo. It ranged from fear, shock, and anger, depending by each individual.

The civilians were shocked, surprised with the fact that the dead had been brought back to life. The lower ranking shinobi felt fear as they imagined fighting against the two. While the higher-ranking shinobi, the Kages, and the Daimyos were angered.

 _"Blasphemy!"_

 _"This is outrageous!"_

 _"How disrespectful!"_

 _"He really crossed the line this time!"_

These were the thoughts that they shared. Some Daimyos and Kages were seriously considering attacking the Leaf for the violation the Sandaime Hokage had done.

 **Uzumaki Fleet**

 **Command Ship**

"Hmm, he's summoned them early…" Murmured Kushina as they watched.

"I guess that's because he figured we'll be attacking…" Said Minato.

"At least he's not a total fool for not having figured it out." Said Tsunade.

The Kazekage raised an eyebrow at Kushina. "You're not even bothered by this?"

"No." Replied the three.

Orochimaru simply laughed while the Kazekage looked incredulous.

"We've known about Sarutobi using the Edo Tensei since the day after I replaced Danzo." Said Minato.

"I had his memories extracted, killing him. Then I resurrected him of course. We'd want him to see the Leaf burn." Said Kushina.

"And don't forget that we're Uzumakis." Added Arashi.

"I'm still confused…" Said the Kazekage.

"Simply put, the bodies resurrected by the Edo Tensei are controlled by a seal. Without the seal, the resurrected may attack the jutsu user since they will get back control of their bodies."

"I see. So you've created a seal that will just overwrite the existing seal to release the Shodaime and Nidaime Hokage from the Sandaime's control."

"Exactly." Replied Kushina, grinning.

"One thousand meters to firing distance!" Interrupted the captain's voice as he spoke through the intercom.

"There's our cue…" Said the Uzukage.

 **Naruto's Ship**

"Naruto, what do you plan to do now?" Asked Gaara as he stared at Bee and Yugito's unconscious forms.

"I'll convert them. If they choose to remain loyal to their village, I'll just kill them. Simple."

"You won't have to kill them. Once you tell them you're the Sage's reincarnation, their bijus will convince them to join our cause." Said Utakata.

"We'll see."

On cue, Fu and Hinata removed the seals that kept the captives unconscious.

Bee was the first to wake up followed by Yugito. The two of them glared at Naruto as they recognized him.

"Hello. I'm sorry about earlier."

"Really." Said Yugito sarcastically.

"We don't have to be enemies. You're following the wrong cause."

"My loyalty belongs to the Raikage and Kumo." Replied the woman, while Bee kept silent.

"Yugito-san, I'm sure you're aware about Kumo kidnapping children and raising them as weapons."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Isn't it obvious? You're one of those children."

Yugito's eyes widened. "H-how can you tell?" She asked weakly.

"Come on, just by looking at your skin color, it says a lot."

"If you want more convincing, why don't you ask Matatabi?" Naruto added.

 ** _"How does he know my name? Bijus aren't allowed to tell humans their names. They can only tell it to their own hosts."_** The demon cat wondered.

"Ah, you're wondering why I know…" Muttered Naruto. "Gyuki, are you listening too?"

"Gyuki's listening, yeah." Said Bee.

"Very well. I'm not that good at talking you see. So I'll just…" Trailed off Naruto as he activated his Rinnegan.

"My Rinnegan haven't achieved its final form yet. But the Old Man told me it will soon… Anyway, to sum it up, I'm the reincarnation of the Sage." Naruto ignored Yugito and Bee's gasps and continued. "To back up my claim, you and your biju can talk to the Sage himself. He shall be the one to explain everything about me and the Uzumaki Clan."

Naruto sat down and offered his hands. Bee immediately accepted while Yugito was skeptical.

"My hands are clean you know. I haven't touched anything filthy or poisonous."

"N-no."

"There are no seals either. I'm not going to harm you, I'm simply bringing you to my mindscape."

 **Inside the mindscape**

Bee and Yugito were expecting to see a sewer. Instead, the mindscape looked like paradise. Unknown to them, Naruto simply copied the appearance of the Sacred Island where he and the others trained to become perfect jinchurikis.

"It looks like the Giant Turtle's." Muttered Bee. Gyuki appeared behind him.

 **"Indeed, Bee. However, this is bigger. This island was meant for the nine jinchurikis to train simultaneously. If Naruto knows this place, then I'm pretty sure he's also perfected his form and has bonded with Kurama."**

 **"Damn right."** Said Kurama as she appeared.

 **"So what is this reincarnation thing your host was talking about?"** Asked Matatabi as she appeared behind Yugito.

 **"Easy. Naruto was telling the truth."** Said a new voice.

"Of course I was! What would I gain by lying about me being your reincarnation?"

Matatabi and Gyuki gasped as Naruto appeared with a man who looked exactly like him, except he was older, had horns, and had red hair.

The old man chuckled. **"Calm down, now. There's no need to get riled up."** The old man said as a staff materialized. He banged it on the ground and there appeared ringed patterns.

 **"Hello, my children."** Rikudou calmly said as he faced Matatabi and Gyuki.

Bee and Yugito bent down on their knees as they felt the man's power.

 **"Rise. Bee, Yugito."**

The two hosts nodded as they stood up. Naruto disappeared and reappeared on top of Kurama's head.

The Sage of the Six paths once again banged his staff on the ground. The scenery changed.

 **"We are now at the Warring Era. This was the time before Hidden Villages were found. Bee, Yugito. I want the two of you to pay attention…"**

And so the Sage showed them everything from that era up to the current date. Rikudou then explained and showed how he chose the Uzumaki Clan. He explained their purpose on the world – maintaining balance and getting rid of peace breakers every now and then – hence the reason why their clan obtained the Rinnegan. The Sage showed Uzushiogakure's establishment up to the point where they were forced to make the world believe they were gone. He also showed them Naruto's upbringing and how he became the strong young man he was now.

After what seemed like months, the visions stopped and the mindscape returned to its training island look.

 **"Do you believe him now?"** Asked the Sage, smiling.

 **Outside the mindscape**

Only a minute have passed since they went in. Of course, time and dimensions were different when they are inside their mindscapes.

"Now that you know and understand why my clan are doing this, I will be leaving you alone for now to think. I won't force you two to fight for us. I understand your loyalties to your country. However, I will be limiting your chakra to ensure you remain here and not attack us."

 **Command Ship**

"Anchor ships! Troops, disembark! Tanks, sweep the area! Airships, go on ahead and commence bombardment!" Ordered Kushina.

 **Air Force**

 **Command Airship (Nagato's Airship)**

Nagato watched from above as his commanded force, a hundred and twenty airships flew past Konoha's outer walls, not worried about anti air systems as they have been taken out earlier.

Making their easy way in, the raging battle could now be seen.

"Scatter around." Ordered Nagato through the intercom as the ships positioned themselves above various parts of the village.

The fighting below seemed to come to a halt as the attacking Alliance forces and Konoha's defenders watched the airships warily.

On the middle of each airship, a hole opened and a cannon appeared. It had a one-and-a-half-meter diameter and was three meters long. The Uzumaki scientists have found a way for ships to contain and direct gravitational attacks. They can now fire gravitational forces without recoil.

"Fire in three… two…"

 **"SHINRA TENSEI! (ALMIGHTY PUSH)"**

One hundred and twenty blast holes appeared down the village with the successful attack. Buildings that were in the way were flattened to the ground. The clashing armies below ceased as they lost their balance. Those who were fighting near buildings perished as the structures came down on them. The fires that have started had been put out due to the intense gravitational attack, the air dying with it.

"Activate shields. We have fifteen minutes before the cannons are ready for another blast."

"Sir!" The captain shouted. "Our radar has detected about a hundred and thirty thousand signatures from the Hokage Mountain. One hundred thousand have equal chakra levels while the other thirty thousand have various ranges from normal chuunin to ANBU level, and lastly, there are six that are Kage level, sir!"

"Obito's Army…" Muttered Nagato. "Inform the main command, immediately."

"Hai!"

 _"How on earth did they get there? Underground travel? Mass transportation jutsu?"_ Wondered Nagato.

 **Konoha's Barrier Corps**

"What the hell! There are two more armies approaching from opposite sides!" Said a Hyuuga.

"There are more than a hundred thousand on each side!"

"INFORM HOKAGE-SAMA IMMEDIATELY!"

A Yamanaka nodded and formed a hand seal quickly and transferred the message to Inoichi.

 **Konoha Arena**

The battle between the Kages went to a halt as they came to a stand-off.

Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed deeply as he glared at the Raikage and Tsuchikage. Hashirama and Tobirama, whose faces were blank, stood in front of the Sandaime Hokage in a defensive position.

From the corner of his eye, Hiruzen noticed the head of the Yamanaka Clan running towards him. As the man arrived, he beckoned him forward as Inoichi relayed the message.

Unnoticed by them, two others also arrived to relay the same message to Ay and Ohnoki.

 **Ay and Ohnoki's POV**

After hearing the message, the two leaders conversed, as they noticed the Hokage also busy conversing with a messenger.

"Two hundred thousand! Half of it's consisted by Uzumakis! Their army is that huge!" Exclaimed Ohnoki.

"There's still the other half. We can convince them to fight alongside us." Said Ay.

"Where the hell is the Mizukage anyway?"

"If my instincts are correct, then I believe she's already dead. The second or third incoming army must have gotten the Mizukage and her forces, as we have lost connection from the ships."

"Then if it's true, Water Country is now ours!" The Tsuchikage said with devilish glee.

"Do not celebrate yet. We still have to survive this."

 **Hiruzen's POV**

"I see. I need you to relay the message to everyone. If the incoming armies are more opponents, then we will have to withdraw and let them kill each other first. We'll come out when their numbers are reduced to half."

"But sir, the Uzumaki Army have advanced machineries and weaponries."

"I know that, Inoichi. We have no choice. Konoha will be a battleground of four different sides. But do not let that put you down. As you can see, I have summoned the Shodaime and the Nidaime Hokage. Their bodies repair by themselves as well as they have unlimited chakra. They will be of great help to destroy invading armies. Relay this information as well to boost morale."

 **Uzumaki Fleet**

 **Command Ship**

"Nagato, use the normal jutsu cannons and meet Obito's Army. Bomb the hell out of them. Tanks, move to the sides to close in for an ambush. I want their army reduced before they descend the mountain. Nagato, the tanks are yours to command now.

Minako, move your corps towards the shores. Keep an eye with the Kiri and Kumo Navies but keep out of their radar.

Narumi, move your corps forward and form a perimeter around the village. Kaede, have your corps form a second line behind Narumi's."

After giving out orders, Kushina faced the Mizukage, who smirked at her.

"I'm still amazed they haven't figured out you're an Uzumaki, Mei." Kushina said, talking about Kiri.

"They'll die not knowing. At least they know about Kumo and Iwa's treachery now, thanks to the feed. Ohnoki forgot the broadcast was still on-going."

"Let us see what they are going to do."

 **Kiri Encampment (Earlier before Hiruzen performed the Edo Tensei)**

Ao, who have remained behind to watch the feed and properly give orders depending on the changing situations, was horrified to find out that the Mizukage have been betrayed by the Raikage and Tsuchikage.

Unknown to the Kiri Army, the Uzumakis sent them a fake feed through their telecast where they witnessed Mei and her husband being brutally murdered by the Raikage and Tsuchikage and a hundred BOLT and ROCK.

"Ao-sama." A MIST bowed before him.

"Kiri looks to you." Said another.

"What are your orders, Rokudaime Mizukage-sama?" Said a third.

Ao took a hard look as he drew a long breath. "Recall all our forces. Have them withdraw from battle. Inform our men of Kumo and Iwa's betrayal. Once we have regrouped we will be taking over Kumo's ships. I'll give further orders later."

"Hai!"

"Chuunin Suigetsu. Stay beside me. You'll be replacing Chojuro."

"Yes, sir! Err, may I ask why? Did he die?"

"No. Worse. Have you forgotten? He made a fool of himself during the first part of the exam. He doesn't deserve to be called one of the Seven Swordsman. Sure, he's got skill. That's what made Mei-sama pick him. I was one of those who disagreed, because of his lack of confidence. We both hoped that he'll find it. But until now he's still scared of doing things and still needed encouragement.

In battle, there will be a time where you'll be alone, where you will begin to lose hope. There will be no one to encourage you to perform better than your opponent. You might as well just kill yourself if you're lacking confidence.

We are at war now. You'll be taking Hiramekarei from him. I know you're in line for the Kubikiribocho, but since your brother Mangetsu was the last wielder of the Great Twin Blades, I'm sure you'll do fine."

"Yes sir. I thank you for this opportunity." Bowed Mangetsu. He was very grateful indeed. By wielding the Hiramekarei, that means he's the highest-ranking member of the Seven Swordsmen. The lowest ranking was the one who wields the Kubikiribocho.

 **Kiri Encampment (Present Time)**

"Now that you're all here, I would like to remind everyone that we are now at war with not just Konoha, but Kumo and Iwa as well. We have been betrayed by them. They brutally killed our Godaime Mizukage as well as Rikkoudo-sama.

Our first course of action will be to take over Kumo's ships. Thankfully we've only lost about a hundred men during the initial invasion. We will kill all Kumo nin guarding the ships and hijack it to merge with ours.

So here's what we're going to do, kill the Kumo nins guarding the ships, take over the ships and merge it with our fleet.

Under any circumstances we are to avoid the Uzumaki-nins. They've come to destroy the Leaf as well. We do not want them turning their attention to us. They have advanced weaponry and we have no means of fighting them at the moment.

I'll give further orders once the task is done. Let's move!" Shouted Ao.

"HAI!"

 **Uzumaki Fleet**

 **Command Ship**

"Movement. There's movement with the Kiri Army. Narumi, my orders earlier are now void. Pull out your corps and form a defensive position around our fleet. Now." Kushina said through the radio.

"What are we going to do with Kiri?" Asked Mei.

"Nothing for now. If their next course of action is to attack Konohagakure, we'll let them. We'll join in only when the fake Madara's army finally joins the fighting. We cannot risk our men getting copied by those White Zetsu creatures."

"I guess it's time for us to move. We'll handle the Kiri Army." Said Orochimaru as he stood up.

"Indeed. Suna shall assist Oto." Said the Kazekage.

 **Uzumaki Air Force POV**

Each airship was big enough to impose power just by presenting itself to their enemies. The Uzumaki Insignia looking proud and intimidating decorated the ship's hull. The ship had a total of ten cannons. There were nine long range cannons and one gravity cannon. It also had two dozen automatic high powered crossbows and projectile launchers that can be used for mid to close ranged combat and landing on enemy infested areas.

Inside the ship were five people connected with the ship's main body structure. With the Rinnegan's Petra Path, the main task of these five was to absorb any incoming jutsu hurled towards the ship.

As the airships got near the Hokage Mountain, they began bombarding the approaching army with explosives and long ranged jutsus through the cannons. As they got nearer, the ships decreased altitude for an easier sweeping. The projectile launchers and crossbows roared to life as they mowed down the fake Madara's army.

 **Obito's POV**

Obito Uchiha was grinning like a maniac behind his mask. He was able to capture Iwa and Kumo and the village leaders were none the wiser.

When the broadcast was hijacked by the Uzumaki, he immediately assembled his army of mercenaries and Zetsu clones. He ordered the white creatures to travel underground and reappear outside two miles away from the Konoha's Hokage Mountain. They poured out from the mouth of an inactive volcano. Obito had to prepare a fifteen-minute ritual in order to teleport himself and thirty thousand more others beside the inactive volcano.

Once ready and organized, he led the march.

Obito and his army was a thousand meters away when they first caught sight of the Uzumaki airships. They were about nine hundred meters away when the ships launched an invisible kind of attack. Obito had no idea what they were but figured it was dangerous as they felt the ground shake. For a moment, he had to halt his army's approach to maintain balance.

When the ground stopped shaking, they resumed their march. They were only seven hundred meters away before descending the mountain when suddenly the Uzumaki airships flew towards them.

He ignored the flying machines and told his army to do so, thinking they were only flying past to encircle the island and launch a second wave of attack. He was wrong.

As the first ship reached past the Hokage Heads, its cannons trained towards them and opened fire. Obito calmly told his army to avoid being hit while returning fire.

However, he became alarmed when the jutsus thrown by Kisame and Kakuzu were simply absorbed by the ships and kept on coming.

Things started to get out of hand when the airships swooped low and began firing barrages of projectiles at a high rate. His army were caught by surprise and most were not able to raise defenses.

As Obito watched his army get mowed down, he knew he had to act quickly.

 _"There's nothing I can do about the mercenaries now. Zetsu, Kisame, Kakuzu, Hidan, Sasori, we're moving underground. Zetsu, have the clones copy others as soon as possible."_

 **Nagato's Ship**

"Sir, they're escaping."

"Cut off their escape. Fire earth jutsus to level the ground their hiding at." Ordered Nagato.

"Tanks, do you copy? Madara's army of White Zetsu's gone off the radar. Sensors, locate them."

"Sir, what are we going to do with the mercenaries? Their client has obviously abandoned them."

"Kill them all." Came the voice of the Uzukage.

"Will do, Kushina-sama."

"Sir, this is from the Tank Corps. The Zetsus and the other strong-arm have descended the mountain. They've finally joined the fight."

"Affirmative. We don't have to worry about getting copied anymore. Rappel down from your ships. Engage the mercenaries. Sensors, keep an eye out for fakes."

"Yes sir. An estimated count of ten thousand White Zetsus have been mowed down during the initial strike. Around five thousand mercenaries are on the process of fleeing."

"Tanks, cut them down then. Nobody escapes."

 **With the Uzumaki Navy**

 **Naruto's Ship**

 ** _"Naruto-boy. Use your chakra cloak, quick!"_** Naruto heard the Sage's voice.

Although confused, he did as ordered.

He gasped as he sensed about three hundred unfriendly chakra signatures. There were at least two on each ship.

"Intruder!" He roared as he slammed a Rasengan towards a technician's gut.

He and his friends watched in combined awe and confusion as the technician's body turned white. Moments later roots sprouted out of its body until there was a young tree.

"A White Zetsu!" Exclaimed Sasuke as he noticed its face and green hair before it became a tree.

"Damn it. How come we didn't notice?" Asked a bewildered Hinata.

 _"Mom! We have a problem! But I'm taking care of it. I need you to order all ships to seal off. I'll be entering each ship one by one and kill the intruders. White Zetsus have managed to copy ship personnel. I'll come to the Command Ship last once I'm done cleaning. There's only one pretender in your ship. Keep everything silent. I'm moving."_

"Nobody leaves the ship until I return!" Ordered Naruto as he exited the room and went to find the other parasite in his ship.

"A tree? Why did it become a tree, yo?!" Asked Bee.

"We're also unsure. Naruto just activated his chakra cloak and attacked that guy." Sasuke pointed at the tree. "I'm sure he'll explain things later once he's dealt with the intruders."

Naruto, meanwhile, went from ship to ship and killed the White Zetsus, turning them into trees. He didn't bother explaining to the startled ship personnel who've witnessed a person turn into a tree.

After about a half an hour getting rid of the clones, he finally arrived at the Command Ship and immediately entered the Bridge.

 **"Wood Release: Wooden Imprisonment"**

Roots quickly wrapped around the body of the Ship Captain until a wooden cage formed, the Captain's limbs still wrapped by thick roots.

"Naruto, what-?!" Asked a startled Kushina. Everyone in the room were also confused. Their confused faces immediately turned into looks of understanding as the Ship Captain formed, or say, went back to its initial form, a White Zetsu.

Astonished, _"Why do I feel connected to him?"_ thought both Naruto and the captured clone.

 **Chapter Twenty-One End**


	23. Chapter 22: Burning Leaf

So yeah... I just found out that the Sandaime Kazekage's name was Rasa xD I always referred to him as 'The Kazekage' or 'Gaara's father'. Now I'll also call him Rasa.

I'm sorry I'm 4 days late. Anyway, here's Chapter 22 :D

 **Chapter Twenty-Two: Burning Leaf**

 **Uzumaki Fleet**

 **Command Ship**

"We do not have time for torture." Said Naruto. "We need information now."

The real captain of the ship was back now. Him along with the Uzukage, Tsunade, and Minato were observing the captive with a critical eye.

Kushina nodded and activated her Rinnegan. She placed her hand on the captured Zetsus' forehead and closed her eyes. For a while everyone in the room we silent as they watched. Finally, the Uzukage opened her eyes.

"Nothing. I can't get anything. This creature has no soul. It is merely a clone."

"How about a Truth Seal?" Suggested Tsunade.

"That could work. But we'll need father. He's more proficient in mind related seals. I'm still mastering it."

Tsunade nodded and went to fetch Arashi, who was currently moderating the cannons up deck.

Five minutes later, Arashi slapped a Truth Seal to the captive's nape.

"Speak." Commanded Kushina.

"Umm, hi?" Responded the confused creature.

"How did you and your brethren managed to infiltrate the ships?" Asked Arashi.

"We didn't do it on purpose. Before we arrived here we were being killed by those airships. Then Madara-sama ordered us to travel underground and join the fighting inside the village. When we appeared from the ground, we were here."

"But how? The Fleet is a thousand meters away from the outer walls."

"We felt attracted to this place. When we appeared here, we felt nice. We felt comfortable. We got cut off from the other Zetsus who were inside Konoha. Those who were drawn here, we had an agreement that we like it here."

"So you just liked it here? You didn't stay here to sabotage or spy the ships?"

"No. Why would we want this place ruined when we felt good here?"

"I see. What happened to the people you copied?"

"Nothing. We didn't do anything harmful to them. In fact, when we appeared from underground, we already had a copied personality. As for me, the person I copied was currently on his way to the loo. In my mind, I felt the need to do my duty, or rather, the person's duty I copied. And so I went here and did the Captain's duties."

"Strange. Has this happened before? Appearing to a different place intended, I mean?"

"No."

"There's something I want to know." Said Naruto. "When I killed the other clones, they turned into trees. Why?"

"Hmmm, do you have Mokuton?" Asked the Zetsu clone.

"I do."

"That's it, then. We got attracted here because of you. You've probably visited the other ships we appeared at… Anyway, I believe the reason why we turn into trees when you kill us is because of our DNA. Madara-sama, the real Madara, took some flesh from the corpse of Hashirama. We clones are made from that DNA. Our bodies are technically made of Mokuton cells."

"Interesting." Muttered Arashi.

"If you are done interrogating me, I must return to my captain duties." Said the clone blankly, much to the amusement of the others in the room.

"Mother, Grandma, Granpa, I have a theory in mind. I'll need your Summoned Chameleons to observe the battlefield. At first I'll stay on one area and cast a Mokuton Jutsu. Observe the Zetsus. After an hour, I'll make clones and station them around the battlefield to cast Mokuton again…

My theory is this… The Zetsus on the area where I did Mokuton becomes a literal clone of the person they copied. Their mindsets change and work for the same side of the one they copied… Take this one we captured for example, he now thinks he's the captain of the ship… If those in the battlefield act the same, then we may have gotten an easier way of distinguishing enemies, allies, and pretenders…

If my theory is correct, then the Zetsus will fight for Kumo and Iwa. We'll just have to kill them all in the end. We only have to make sure that the whole zetsu army copies an enemy nin before we finally clash against them."

 **Kiri Encampment**

Rokudaime Mizukage Ao's plan was successful. The Kiri Army managed to kill the guarding Kumo-nins on the ship. They now have control of Kumo's ships.

"I want fifteen thousand of you to form a perimeter around our encampment, while the remaining will man the ships. We're bombarding Konoha from here!" Shouted Ao.

"Yeah!" Cheered the army.

 **Inside Konoha**

 **With the Leaf**

 _"Where the hell is Danzo?"_ Hiruzen thought angrily.

"Inoichi, we're pulling back. Here's the location of the ROOT Base. It can house up to fifty thousand. We'll be safe down there. Relay the message. We'll let Kumo, Iwa, Kiri, Uzushio, and the other army kill each other off for now. We'll resurface later when their numbers have dwindled."

"Hai!"

 **Kumo-Iwa Alliance**

"Raikage-sama! Tsuchikage-sama! The forces that came from the mountainside are confirmed to be reinforcements!" Screamed by a confused Kumo sensor-nin, he was running towards the two Kages, behind him was another scout from Iwa.

"Indeed! They're wearing Kumo and Iwa uniforms!" Said the other.

Unknown to the two village leaders, these two were in fact Zetsu clones, who believed themselves as scouts now.

"What? How is that possible?!" Shouted Ay.

"I don't understand, Raikage-sama." Said the scout.

"The report earlier said there were a hundred thousand up the mountain."

"I believe there has been a mistake." Said the other scout.

"Yes, a mistake! We only sensed about ten thousand coming from the mountain!"

Just then, another scout ran towards them.

"Raikage-sama! Tsuchikage-sama! We have confirmation that the Kiri forces have pulled out!" Said the newcomer. He noticed the two scouts before him and scratched his head. "Hey! I though you two were scouting at the mountain?"

"What? We've been down here for thirty minutes already!" Said the Zetsu-turned-Kumo scout.

"Yeah." Said the other.

"Oh. You must have used clones…"

"Yeah, clones!"

"Alright!" Interrupted Ay. "What is this thing from Kiri you were saying again?"

"Yes sir, all Kiri forces have pulled out. After following them to the outer walls I watched them regroup at the docks!"

"INCOMING!" The Iwa scout shouted, pointing at a cannon ball crackling with lightning.

"I'll handle it!" Said Ohnoki, floating upwards and forming a cube.

 **"Particle Style-** Ack! My back! It hurts!"

 **"Lariat!"**

"Phew. Thank you, Raikage-sama."

"Sir, that one's from our ships' cannons!" The scout said, recognizing the unique cannon ball.

Another nin came towards them running, "Sir! The Kiri forces have taken our ships!"

"We're already aware of that." Replied Ay gruffly as a cannon ball exploded a few meters beside them.

"The bombardment needs to be stopped." Said Ohnoki.

The Raikage nodded. "Darui! Someone find Darui!"

 **Uzumaki Command Ship**

 _"Kaede. A brigade of Kumo and Iwa Jounin combined are headed out to attack the Kiri encampment. Stop them. The Sand and Sound Army has to be kept secret until all forces storm Konoha at once."_

 _"Minako and Narumi, join forces and activate the seals. The fake Madara, the Zetsu army, and the other six have joined the fray. Nobody escapes. We're moving in for the kill soon."_

 _"Nagato, status?"_

 **Up the Hokage Mountain**

"Wahahaha! You heathens should know art!" Screamed Deidera in a distance. "It's an explosion!"

"This is true art." Said Konan as she unleashed more papers and folded them into sharp objects, and applying wind-natured chakra, cutting a group of mercenaries.

Yahiko was hacking and slashing while chucking out explosive tags every now and then.

Nagato pulled a mercenary that was trying to escape and pierced him using his arm that he transformed into a metal rod.

 _"We're almost done here, Uzukage-sama. There are only less three hundred."_

 **Kiri Encampment**

"Guahahahaha! Take that you bloody traitors!" The nin behind the cannons laughed in delight as they reloaded their cannons and blasted it to where the Kumo and Iwa army were.

Just then, the ones up the ships' watchtowers began to shout, "There are two armies approaching!"

 **Oto and Suna**

"Fire!" Shouted the Kazekage and the Otokage in unison.

The army behind them roared and hurled projectiles towards the Kiri Encampment, destroying their lines into disorder.

"Long ranged attacks, now!" Ordered Rasa.

 **"Wind Style: Wind Cutting Blades!"**

"Now!" Said Orochimaru.

 **"Sound Style: Displacing Longitudinal Waves!"**

 **"Sand and Sound Collaboration: Great Sound Cyclone Technique!"**

"Gaara, destroy the ships." Said the Kazekage.

The Ichibi Jinchurikii nodded and transformed into Shukaku, advancing towards the shores and sending the Kiri nin flying that tried to stop him. Temari and Kankuro were following behind, killing enemies on the way as well.

"Kidomaru, Sakon, Ukon, Jirobo, Dosu, Kin, and Zaku, assist Gaara and his siblings."

"Will do, Otokage-sama."

 **Darui's Brigade**

"General Darui! The bombings have ceased!"

"We're still going, lieutenant! File into four columns, we're passing through that tunnel on the wall. It shall give us cover from the Kiri Scouts."

"Hai!"

"Double time!"

 **"Shinra Tensei!"**

The lieutenant screamed as he and the others behind him were thrown backwards.

"This is so dull." Muttered Darui as he regained composure and faced off with the person who disrupted their march.

Blocking their passage through the wall was a man with red hair who looked like the Uzukage. Behind him were masked nin wearing the standard Whirlpool STORM Uniform. All of them were redheads, Darui noted. Behind their masks were purple eyes with ringed patterns.

"Uzumaki…"

 **"Shinra Tensei!"**

 _"How dull."_ Thought Darui as he and the others were once again sent back flying. They crash landed against their fellow Kumo-nin.

 **Inside the village**

With the fake Madara and his army joining the battle, the attacking armies of Kumo and Iwa were in confusion due to their increased numbers. Meanwhile, the Konoha nin took this opportunity to withdraw from the battle and hide underground while their enemies were preoccupied. Unknown to them, some of the Zetsu clones also managed to join them flee underground, attracted with the mere presence of the Shodaime Hokage. Hiruzen changed his mind and decided to pull out the resurrected kages from the battle as well.

Senju Hashirama, even though under control by the Edo Tensei, he knew in his subconscious about the Zetsu's connection with him. This was the overlooked flaw with the creature Zetsu. Should the Shodaime gain control of his resurrected body, he would be able to control the white creatures that Madara and his successor created. The Uchiha may know or may have not known about this, as both Madara and Obito were not aware of the jutsu that was Edo Tensei.

 **Narumi and Minako's Combined Corps**

After receiving confirmation of their allies besieging Kiri's Navy Encampment, Narumi and Minako ordered their forces to march to the village.

As they grew closer, they found clusters of small forests around the village. Small trees sprouted everywhere, destroying houses and pavements.

They halted as they received new information about their new enemy. The beings that were known as white zetsus were no longer under control of the Original Zetsu and the Fake Madara. An explanation from Naruto came from, stating that the Zetsus were affected by Mokuton due to them being cultivated from Hashirama's cells, and since Naruto was a descendant of the first Mokuton user, he also causes an effect to the white creatures. The final theory that they wanted to see was Hashirama completely controlling the Zetsus.

Once they've taken care of the Kumo and Iwa armies, the higher-ups will be now focusing on releasing the Shodai and Nidaime Hokages from the Sandaime's control.

 **With Suna, Oto and Kiri**

"What is this? Why are you attacking us?" Demanded Ao as he called a wave of water to intercept the Kazekage's own golden sand wave.

"Mist are enemies with Whirlpool. While the Sand are allied with Uzushiogakure. And by extension, Kirigakure is also the enemy of Sunagakure." Replied Rasa simply.

"Damn right. The same applies with Sound. Your village is also my village's enemy." Added Orochimaru as he joined the fight, having finished dealing with Suigetsu, the Mizukage's guard.

Both Kazekage and Mizukage called forth another huge wave of water and sand. As the waves crashed against each other, the area became flooded with heavy mist coated with sand particles. All fighting around them ceased as everyone had to take cover to protect their eyes. While everyone was distracted, a huge arm of sand grabbed both kages.

Orochimaru recognized the Shukaku's partial transformation and saw Gaara and his siblings at the chest part of the monster. He followed as the sand demon turned its feet into waves of sand and flew away from the battle.

By the time the Suna nin recovered and managed to blow the sand and mist with wind jutsus, the spot where the kages were was now clear.

The three armies were confused for a moment before they heard an explosion and felt the rumble of the ground about a few kilometers away, glancing at the distance, they saw the Ichibi Jinchurikii completely transform into Shukaku. They then understood that the kages went away so they could go all out without harming their allies.

With a war cry from Kimimaro Kaguya of the Sound, the Oto-nins unleashed another wave of sound jutsu, disorienting the Kiri-nin that were close. The battle recommenced.

 **With Gaara and siblings**

"Otokage-sama, please deal with the Mizukage while me and my siblings fight our beloved father." Said Gaara.

Orochimaru quickly understood and summoned Manda, starting his battle against the Mizukage who was still looking at Gaara confounded.

"What is the meaning of this?" Demanded Rasa.

"We're only returning the love you provided us, father." Replied Temari.

"Or rather, the lack of love you gave." Added Kankuro.

"I know it was you who sent assassins after me when I was younger. I interrogated dear Uncle Yashamaru. He is now dead. You'll be following him soon."

 **"Sabaku Kyu"**

 **Back in Konoha**

The Kumo and Kiri armies who were attacking earlier were now in the defense as if protecting the Leaf. The Raikage and the Tsuchikage ordered their men to form a defensive position as the walls surrounding the village collapsed.

As the dust cleared, an army now stood in place of the fallen walls, all wearing red armor proudly showing the Uzumaki crest. They were surrounded. And trapped. A purple barrier shimmered out of existence forming into a huge dome and covered the whole village.

Ay and Ohnoki rallied their troops as the Uzu-nins charged towards them in battle.

A female version of Minato and a male version of Kushina headed for them and attacked. The two kages eventually recognized them as the mentioned eldest children.

Narumi drew her sword and engaged the Raikage in a kenjutsu against taijutsu match while her brother Minako slammed two giant rasengans at the old Tsuchikage's particle shield.

 **Up the mountain**

"Haha! Art shall prevail!" Deidara cackled as the final mercenary exploded in blood and gore.

"I think we're done here." Said Yahiko.

"Yes. Time to go down." Nagato said as his commanded troops regrouped.

"I'll teach those Kumo-nin my art, as Iwa will never understand and appreciate it. Hence my defection, hmm." Deidara solemnly swore.

"I'll teach them my art then." Said Konan.

"Ah. The seals have been activated." Yahiko muttered as he watched the walls collapse where moments later a purple transparent dome appeared over the village.

"You guys can blow things up to your hearts content inside the barrier. The outside won't be affected." Informed Nagato.

"Hah! Yes! The heavens smile upon me… **C2 Dragon!"** Deidara yelled triumphantly as he hopped on the hovering dragon clay and directed it down the mountain.

He dive bombed at a huge group of Iwa ninjas who were gaping at him, apparently recognizing him.

 **"Katsu!"**

"You fuckers said my art was rubbish. Now, tremble in awe and cry your hearts out as you experience divine judgement! **C3!** Muwahahahaha!"

"Let's go." Ordered Nagato as Deidara continued to blow up Iwa-nins. The army behind them yelled a war cry as they ran down the mountain. The airships once again went airborne and hooked a tank each and carried it down the village.

"I thought he said he's teaching the Kumo-nins instead." Muttered Konan as paper wings formed on her back.

 **With the Akatsuki**

Deidara was having fun killing enemies when a group not too far from him suddenly died screaming.

A tail that looked of a scorpion appeared and made to strike at the blonde. Deidera cackled madly as he avoided it and chucked C1 bombs at the tail.

"Unlike what you are proclaiming, this is true art… Behold, a **Performance of a Hundred Puppets"** A gruff voice said.

"Ah, Sasori my man, a fellow artist. We'll see whose art is better, hmm!"

-Line-

Meanwhile, Yahiko was staring at a man… _"or is that a woman?"_ in front of him who was wielding a three-bladed scythe.

"You will be a fine sacrifice for Jashin-sama!" Screamed Hidan passionately.

"Just what the hell are you?"

"I, Hidan, am the Priest and Chosen of Jashin-sama! Prepare to die!"

"Aah, so you're a male then…" Concluded Yahiko.

"You heathen! How dare you call me a… an… umm, how dare you mistake me as not a man!"

"I never said you weren't…" Muttered Yahiko as he prepared for battle. "You fucking pyscho."

"How dare you!"

-Line-

"Huwaaa! I can't sense the others! What the hell is happening! **Quiet, you!** But-! **I said quiet! There's an Uzu-nin in front of us!** Oh no!"

"So you're Zetsu." Said Konan.

The white creature dramatically spun as he exclaimed, "Haaallooooo!"

"Die!" Ordered Konan.

-Line-

"Hmmm, tuna." Observed Nagato.

"I'm a shark, damn it! A fucking shark!" Screamed Kisame indignantly.

 **Kaede vs. Darui**

The two generals have been fighting for a good thirty minutes now. They were only slightly winded and was trading bursts of A-Rank elemental attacks while going into a taijutsu combat every now and then. For Darui though, he was beginning to feel troubled as he kept on moving to avoid his opponent's jutsus, who seemed like he was merely throwing kunai with such ease. Kaede didn't bother moving away as he simply absorbed the attacks and used recycled the chakra to throw back another jutsu at the Kumo-nin.

 **"Gale Style: Laser Circus!"**

 _"He really absorbed it. I thought I was imagining things. How dull."_ Darui thought as he drew his sword and made a forward slash at his enemy.

"I'll have you know, Kumogakure prides itself for its kenjutsu. We are the masters of the art."

"Used to." Corrected Kaede as he drew his own katana. "While the Uzumaki are natural fuinjutsu masters, we have drilled ourselves into kenjutsu as well. Prepare yourself!"

"How dull." Muttered Darui as his opponent easily parried his attack.

 **"Kenjutsu Art – Uzumaki Style: Water Waltz!"** Kaede arched his sword in a whipping motion and Darui watched mesmerized as the katana shimmered with water twirling around it.

 **"First Step!"**

Kaede moved forward and did a rising slash at his opponent.

Darui quickly concentrated and coated his own sword with lightning chakra and jumped backwards after deflecting the blow.

He was sure the attack didn't reach him but felt blood dripping on his right sword arm.

 **"Second Step!"**

The Uzumaki made a horizontal slash to the right. Darui's jump earlier made some distance from his opponent and was surprised when the water swirling around the sword shot towards him like a whip and caught his waist.

 **"Third Step!"**

The STORM Commander made a downward slash this time, while his opponent tried to severe the water whip. Darui was pulled towards him.

 **"Fourth Step!"**

Kaede finished the waltz as he did a horizontal slash to the left. His katana seemed to expand as it cut its target. Darui managed raise his sword to keep himself from getting cut. However, the Kumo general's sword was cut like butter while the Uzushio general's katana passed through his chest.

"Now that… wasn't so dull… A fatal attack…" Was Darui's final words as he fell from battle.

 **With Sound Four and Team Dosu**

As a reward for graduating the Uzumaki Academy course, the group used the gift Orochimaru bestowed upon them.

The Sound-nin slaughtered their opponents with ease with their Sound Mark activated combined with the natural skills they honed from Whirlpool.

Activating Stage Two of the Sound Mark, the Sound-nin inspired awe and fear upon their enemies. The Kiri nin were helpless as they had no idea how to defend themselves from attacks in the form of sound.

Kimimaro, whose terminal disease just got treated, looked magnificent and frightening at the same time with his Sound Mark. The Snake Sannin gave it to him a week after Tsunade healed his supposedly incurable illness. Gray, Black, and Obsidian Black bones were sprouting from his body unlike the natural white. Enhanced by the mark, the bones were bigger, stronger, and sharper. His appearance made him look like he was wearing a leafless pine tree as armor.

 **Orochimaru vs. Ao**

"Youngsters these days are so disrespectful" Sighed Ao as watched the Kazekage defend himself from his children. "Back in my days-"

Orochimaru interrupted him and immediately engaged him in battle. He hopped off from Manda and proceeded to coordinate attacks with his summon.

They fought on for ten minutes, while Orochimarus actually was only testing the waters. He thought Ao somehow deserved his position as Mizukage due to his speed. However, he was only fast in taijutsu, while Orochimaru was faster and was also good at wide-ranged attacks.

"Back in my days-"

"Quit your reminiscing, your days are over." Said Orochimaru as Manda lunged at the Mizukage.

Ao easily dodged the strike and glared at his opponent. Grabbing his eye patch, he took it off and threw it at the ground.

"You can't catch me… for I have this! **Byakugan!"**

"If there's anything I hate the most…" Began Orochimaru as he dismissed Manda and flashed into handseals. "It's people who steal kekkei genkai! **Kuchiyose: Yamata no Orochi!"**

There was a huge puff of smoke and when it cleared an Eight Headed Serpent towered over the Mizukage. The Otokage stood on top on one of the heads with his arms folded.

"This one's a thief." Orochimaru told the great serpent.

 **"I see. A dojutsu, eh?"** One of the heads muttered as the others striked.

Ao's unwounded eye widened as he hastily went back to his senses and avoided the serpent heads.

"He is showing the same speed he used to take down the Hyuga whose eye he have taken for himself."

 **"Trust me, he'll be on the defensive for the whole time until he dies."**

"Please don't play with him. There are still five armies waiting to be crushed. My men along with the Sand are taking on Kiri while Whirlpool is dealing with Kumo, Iwa, and Madara's army. As for Konoha, they've decided to hide underground while the battle raged on. I'm sure you'd like to have your share of killing those Leaf Scum."

There was a huge blast that they immediately recognized as a tailed beast bomb.

Orochi didn't respond to Orochimaru as he took the bijudama a form of competition and glared at Ao. Eight heads reared back and breathed green flames towards the Mizukage's direction.

 **Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara vs Rasa**

Normally, it would seem impossible for a Kazekage to be on the defensive against three chuunin. However, these chuunin were taught and trained from Uzushiogakure.

The battle had been raging for ten minutes now and Rasa was still defending. The tanuki was throwing wave after waves of sand at him. He would use his golden sand to fight it off but found it difficult. Temari threw A-Ranked jutsus while Kankuro had a dozen puppets all firing poisonous projectiles at him.

The last time he knew, the one tailed demon thrashed around wildly when transformed, Temari could only do C-Ranked Jutsus, and Kankuro only had three puppets. Now, it was different. Temari moved gracefully with her new war fan, while Kankuro controlled the puppets with ease. The Shukaku's attacks were controlled, and he was coordinating attacks with Temari and Kankuro.

The Kazekage felt the tension lessen as he noticed Temari and Kankuro stop attacking. He immediately raised more sand to overpower the Shukaku when he heard them doing the summoning technique.

Temari stood side by side with a tanuki that was a quarter of Shukaku in size. With Kankuro was a red scorpion almost the same size as Temari's summon. The siblings watched Shukaku and waited for his signal.

The giant tanuki disengaged from battle and flicked its tail towards the Kazekage. _"This is it."_ Thought the two.

Kankuro led his puppets with his summoned scorpion at the back, charging towards his father. Temari and her summon would be providing long distance assistance to keep the Kazekage occupied while Shukaku gathered the necessary chakra for a tailed beast bomb.

As Kankuro's puppets surrounded their target and fired projectiles, the Kazekage erected a wall of sand to shield himself, while at the same time, making a sandstorm to turn the tables. The summoned scorpion closed distance with ease and blended in with the Kazekage's sand.

Temari sent howling blasts of air to disrupt her father's defense while her summoned tanuki created a swirling mist of sand to hide the Shukaku from view until it was ready to attack.

Rasa was feeling both angry and proud at the same time. He was angry because his children have turned on him. Proud because they were formidable as a team and were able to push him back in battle. He decided he'll forgive Temari and Kankuro for their actions and promote them to jonin due to their skills, while he will personally execute Gaara in front of the whole of Suna for treason.

Just then, Rasa noticed something was amiss. He remembered Temari's summon. _"What is it doing now?"_

The Kazekage released his sand shield and waved his arms to make the sandstorm stronger. Kankuro's puppets were blown away due to the strong wind. His tension lessened at having eliminated the things that could poison him. Just then, he felt a stinging sensation on his right forearm and saw a scorpion tail amidst the hail of sand. Just as it appeared it vanished fast and blended in with the sand.

 _"Damn it, I got careless."_ Thought the Kazekage. He felt a sense of doom when his right hand felt numb. He felt the numbness creep up until he couldn't feel his entire arm. In his panic, he didn't anticipate another strike and got stung by the left ankle.

His control over the sandstorm slipped away as his limbs became paralyzed. His sandstorm died and once again he was able to see his surroundings properly. He noticed a small storm of sand obscuring his view of something tall and wide.

On the corner of his eye he noticed the puppets withdrew and the scorpion scuttle back to Kankuro.

"Goodbye, father." He heard Temari whisper coldly.

The small sandstorm stopped and crept towards Temari and Kankuro, forming into a huge ball with them inside.

The way clear, he could now see what the sand was hiding. There was a huge purple ball hovering by the Shukaku's head.

Rasa closed his eyes as he admitted defeat. His body was paralyzed. Even if he could move and protect himself, he will only waste chakra as the demon could simply blast him with a second ball.

Shukaku aimed at the Kazekage and released the ball of dark purple energy.

 **"BIJUDAMA!"**

When the explosion cleared, there was only a huge crater. Gaara, who was inside the Shukaku's head, extended his senses and looked for the Kazekage. There was none.

 **"He's dead. Let's go."** Gaara said with the voice of Shukaku. Temari and Kankuro dismissed their summons and climbed the giant tanuki's head.

The Shukaku walked towards the battle area of Orochimaru and Ao. There was an eight-headed serpent and flames everywhere. The Otokage was standing on one of the heads. The Mizukage nowhere to be seen.

"The Mizukage killed the Kazekage by Mist Acid Jutsu. Inform Baki just in case they look for the body." Said Gaara, while the Shukaku laughed manically.

Orochimaru smirked in understanding. "Very well. You three are needed at the Command Ship to receive your next mission."

 **With Sand and Sound Army**

 **KA-BOOM!**

"What was that?" A Sound Chunin wondered aloud.

"That, my friend, was the Shukaku's bijuudama." Replied a Sand Jounin. "The Mizukage's done for."

The others who have also recognized it grinned. "Let's finish his army then."

"Yeah!"

With a renewed vigor, the two armies attacked the Kiri-nin with more ferocity.

A few minutes later, they felt the ground shaking and spotted the Yamata no Orochi with the Shukaku. The Sand and Sound armies once again cheered while the Kiri-nin began to lose morale.

The battle ended fifteen minutes after the Yamata no Orochi reached the battlefield and laid waste.

Orochimaru ordered the Sound Four and Dosu's Team to go to the command ship. As they left with Gaara and his siblings, the Otokage informed the Sand of their Kazekage's demise by the Mizukage's hands. He told Baki that Rasa told him he'll be the Yondaime's successor. And so Baki became the Godaime Kazekage.

 **Uzumaki Command Ship**

"Welcome back." Began the Uzukage. "As you've noticed, you are with your batchmates. You'll be working once again as a whole class. As there are a total of twelve teams, you'll be divided into four sub-groups."

"Team Fox will consist of Naruto's team with the Sound Four and Team Dosu."

"Team Raccoon will be Gaara's with Teams Seven and Eight."

"Team Chomei will be Fu's team with Teams Nine and Ten."

"Utakata will be joining Team Slug which consists of Tayuya's Team, Teams Eleven and Twelve."

"Now, there's a jinchuriki on each group. The non-jinchurikis' goal is to protect and provide cover for the jinchuriki in your group until you arrive at your assigned destinations."

"Team Fox will be heading towards the centermost part of the village. Team Raccoon will be at the Northern area. Team Chomei at the Southeast. Team Slug at the Southwest. When all of you are in position, Naruto, Gaara, Fu, and Utakata will assume into their Tailed Beast mode and wreak havoc."

"This mission serves two purposes: One, to give our enemies the feeling of hopelessness and Two, to draw out the Leaf-nin who have hidden underground, or more specifically, the Konoha Higher-Ups. Our sleeper agent shall take care of trapping the rest of them."

"Everything clear?"

"Hai!"

The teams then nodded and left the ship. As the chuunins left the office, Minato, Tsunade, and Arashi entered the briefing room.

"Right. As soon as the old monkey comes out with the Shodai and Nidaime Hokage, we'll Hiraishin to their location and free them from the Edo Tensei."

"Minato-kun, it's time." Said Kushina.

The former Hokage nodded and was gone in a flash.

 **Konoha Underground**

Sarutobi gazed at his villagers gravely. He was feeling a bit thankful as he noticed at least seventy percent of the village's population made it underground safely. Both civilians and shinobi alike were there, waiting, and watching. The village had a contingency plan of having all villagers arm themselves and fight in case of a full-scale war.

He popped a chakra replenishing pill to his mouth and focused his gaze on the screens.

The Yamanakas were currently working full time providing coverage above ground. They have possessed the crows that have come to the village, waiting for the battle to end so they could feast on the fallen. Each Yamanaka was connected to a screen that showed what they were seeing. They developed this strategy in case their security cameras failed, like what happened now.

-Line-

Yakushi Anko, daughter of Orochimaru and Nono Yakushi, smirked as she watched the Leaf civilians quiver in fear as they held their given weapons while the shinobi murmured to their comrades nervously as they watched the Uzumaki Army erect a barrier and swarmed at the Kumo and Iwa armies.

Seven years before the date of the Leaf's Downfall, she had been admitted to the village after making a scene at the gates. She had no trouble convincing the guards, doctors, and the interrogators that her trading caravan had been ambushed by rogue Kumo and Iwa shinobi. She was brought to the hospital where she finally met her brother, Kabuto, after not seeing him since the attack on Whirlpool. She took on the alias of Mitarashi Anko.

Once she passed the three months' probation, she was allowed to join the ranks as a Chuunin and eventually was promoted to Tokubetsu Jonin after a year. She was easily accepted to the T&I Division due to her sadistic streak. Her father was most pleased. And she was able to easily communicate directly with Kabuto and Nono who were also at a high position at the hospital. Since most people were brought before and after interrogation at the hospital, their passing of information with each other wasn't suspicious.

Two years before the invasion, she found out about the huge underground dome they were currently hiding at. She had her summoned snakes explore the area while she discreetly searched information about it. As it turned out, the place had been created when news about Wave Country being freed by an unknown group reached them.

A week after her discovery, she was given orders to place remote controlled seals all over the place. Every Sunday night, she would receive ten tags for her to plant. Three were chakra limiter seals, the other three were barrier seals, while the remaining four were explosive seals. Eventually, the dome had been filled with a thousand tags. All of them linked to her chakra signature. Waiting to be activated.

Anko was interrupted from her musings when she saw Shimura Danzo walk past her before nodding. She had to control herself from bursting out laughing as the supposedly dead Yondaime Hokage approach the Sandaime with his walking stick.

As the Sandaime restrained Danzo and confirmed his identity, she created a clone and had it watch the scene like most of the people there did, while she stepped into a hidden room she created and started making hand seals. The thousand tags in the room required exactly two hundred and fifty hand seals to activate.

-Line-

Minato, under the guise of Danzo, calmly approached the Sandaime with an impassive look. Suddenly he found himself unable to move, the Shodaime's Mokuton abilities restraining him.

Danzo growled angrily, his scars becoming more visible. "What is the meaning of this, Sarutobi?"

"You've been missing since the exam's third part. We feared you got caught by the enemy. Prove that you really are who you appear to be."

"Alright, then. Ask me something."

Sarutobi nodded and asked him to recite a line that only the Hokage knew. A secret code.

Minato inwardly smirked at the tricky question. Normally, he wasn't supposed to know. But since Danzo was Danzo, the old warhawk also knew. If Kushina hadn't extracted the old bastard's memories, Minato wouldn't know if Danzo knew.

The Sandaime visibly relaxed when he provided the answer and released Danzo from the restrains.

"What happened to you, my friend?" Asked Hiruzen as he led Danzo away from listening ears.

"I was ambushed by Kumo's Black Lightning Corps and Iwa's jinchuriki. I was drained of chakra and was about to get executed when my ROOT arrived on time to save me. They provided me enough chakra pills so I could perform the Izanagi. After that I had to find an Uchiha with a Mangekyou to replace the one I lost. I found Shisui, killed him, and then took his eyes. I had to rest for at least three hours in order for the eyes to get compatible with my system. Of course, I was aware of the invasion going on, but couldn't really do anything myself at the moment. However, I have my ROOT working."

Sarutobi nodded thoughtfully, believing the lie. "Where are your ROOT?"

"Above ground. They're carefully hidden and are waiting for further orders. We're going to fight once they've reduced, yes?"

"Of course. We'll crush them all for daring attack the Leaf!"

Minato was about to express his agreement when they heard the cries of shock, anger, despair from the villagers.

The Sandaime hurriedly returned to the crowds and checked the screens to see what was happening. His eyes widened as he saw the Shukaku, Nanabi, Rokubi, and the Kyuubi roaring angrily, their tails thrashing everything on its wake.

Minato mentally congratulated Anko as he felt the seals all over the dome activate. _"Good. That shall prevent anyone Chuunin level and below from coming out. They can have fun watching as we slaughter everyone. Let them feel the hopelessness and misery they made Naruto feel when he was here."_

 **Konohagakure, Above Ground (Fifteen Minutes Earlier)**

The Uzumakis were relentless as they slaughtered the armies of Kumo, Iwa, and what was left of the Zetsu clones.

Narumi and Minako were keeping Ay and Ohnoki from helping their own nins. The Uzumakis who had the Rinnegan awakened were given the green light to use the paths.

The red haired warriors sucked out souls, summoned animals that kept on multiplying instead of dying, deployed bombs, absorbed jutsus, pushed and pulled people with gravity. One by one or group by group, their enemies fell.

Naruto and the others' special teams fought every now and then as they headed to their assigned destination. Those who arrived early stood their ground and fought while they waited for the others to reach theirs.

After fifteen minutes of weaving through the battlefield, the four special teams reached their destination. The four jinchuurikis mentally gave the signal and simultaneously entered Tailed Beast Mode.

The towering figures of Shukaku, Chomei, Saiken, and Kurama loomed over the village.

 **Konoha Underground (Present Time)**

"We'll get trapped and die here if we don't leave!" Roared Danzo.

"We're fighting now! We'll crush them all! We are the Leaf! We have the Mokuton and the Mangekyou Sharingan with us! We'll control the beasts! Do not be afraid!" Shouted the Sandaime, referring to Hashirama, Fugaku, Itachi, and Sasame.

"And us too!" Exclaimed Jiraiya, who was now in Sage Mode. Elders Fukasaku and Shima on his shoulders.

Reassured, the villagers yelled in approval and swarmed out of the underground dome.

The Sandaime or the other high-ranking officers didn't notice the others unable to leave since the ANBU and Jounin were the first ones to exit.

 **Uzumaki Command Ship**

"It's time."

Kushina nodded to her parents and Hiraishined to Minato.

 **Konohagakure**

Sarutobi noticed a flash of red before he and his shinobi were blasted off to a wall.

Arashi immediately slapped a seal on Hashirama's head while Tsunade did the same with Tobirama.

As Sarutobi regained his bearings, he saw Danzo smirking cruelly at him.

"Danzo, what-?"

"Kai."

Without smoke, Danzo's appearance morphed into a different persona.

"Greetings, Hokage-sama. I believe your retirement is long overdue. Leave the village's well-being to the Fourth, will you?" Said the man.

Hiruzen, Fugaku, Jiraiya, the toads, and the rest of the Konoha-nin stared with wide eyes at their deceased-now-also-alive Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato. The Yellow Flash. The only person known to have singlehandedly destroyed a whole army without Mokuton, Sharingan, or a Tailed Beast sealed in him.

"Koharu, Homura, and Danzo have met their ends while they watched the Leaf burn." He took a three-pronged kunai and pointed it at the three. "You'll pay for what you did to my family."

 **Chapter Twenty-Two End**

 **Author's Notes:**

1\. About Gaara killing Rasa... Recalling events from the initial chapters, the council of Uzushio wanted the Yondaime Kazekage dead for mistreating their Jinchurikii.

With the Alliance Treaty signed, Suna and Uzushoi cannot betray each other, or else the Kage of the betraying side dies as well as the successing leaders.

However, Gaara and his siblings already disliked their father for failing as a dad. The dislike grew into hatred during their stay in Uzushio, where they saw their classmates and their fathers going along nicely. The hate evolved into pure loathing when they were able to compare the treatment of Jinchurikii from Suna and Uzushio and also upon discovering it was their own father who was sending assassins after Gaara.

Uzushio indirectly killed Rasa by showing Gaara and his siblings how much he sucked as a father and a village leader. He endangered his people by releasing the Shukaku by having Gaara killed. While the Uzumakis treated the Jinchurikiis as heroes for keeping the Tailed Beasts at bay. The Uzushio Council never ordered for his assassination, as it will void the two village's alliance contract. The siblings merely acted on their own accord.

Loopholes. I love loopholes :D

2\. The nearer I get to the ending, the longer I take writing. I'm not doing it on purpose. My brain does. I guess it's a thing for authors? Writers block or whatever you call it? I dunno. Due to my current pace, expect update in a month.


	24. Update Report

Due to the damage caused by the storms, update will be delayed. I'm only sending this through mobile device. Thank you for your understanding.


	25. Chapter 24: Cutting Loose Ends

**I've been busy. So much has happened. We all know that. Hope everyone's okay now.**

...

Before everything... I would like to advertise my third fic entitled **Fourth World; Third Chance at Life**

...

Here's chapter 23 of 24. Hope you guys like it. It's shorter than normal chapters. I didn't see any point describing every movement on each battles, I mean, who's really interested reading every single movement a character does? Definitely not me. Anyway, here it is...

 **Chapter Twenty-Three: Cutting Loose Ends**

"He's alive!"

"The Yondaime Hokage's alive!"

"Konoha's done for!"

These were the thoughts of everyone in the Elemental Nations who were still glued to their televisions, watching the battle.

 **Konohagakure**

As the Hokage lead his troops outside the bunker, Narumi and Minako led their opponents towards that area and waited for their parents to flash in. Mio and Miho also battled their way there.

Due to the shock of seeing someone who's supposed to be dead, the higher ranks and sensor types of Konoha, Kumo, and Iwa's army didn't notice the armies of Suna and Oto enter the sealed dome. They were practically surrounded, even if there wasn't a barrier.

They were only brought out from their shock when Orochimaru walked towards Kushina and stood beside her. "It is done. Kiri is now history."

Gasps from the Leaf, Stone, and Lightning were heard. Minato smirked evilly. "I see. Who goes next?"

"Hmm, if I may suggest, we let Kumo experience the Hiraishin. After all, Iwa's already had a taste of it. Let them watch it on a different point of view this time." Said Kushina.

"Ah, a good suggestion." Replied Minato.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?"

On cue, Minato, Kushina, Narumi, Minako, Mio, and Miho threw out dozens of tri-pronged kunais on all directions, scattering them all over the confines of the village.

Everybody else were just too shocked that not only Minato knew the technique, and weren't able to react.

 **"Kunai Kage Bunshin no Jutus!"**

Ay finally got back to his senses and immediately activated his **Lightning Armor, Level Four**. He was about to pummel Minato but found himself pinned down by none other than Tsunade. _"Damn it, she's too strong!"_

 **"Mass Hiraishin!"**

The Raikage could only watch in horror as flashes of yellow, red, orange, blue, and white appeared everywhere, leaving a trail of dead Kumo shinobi.

 **With Deidara and Sasori**

"Damn it, hmm. I wasn't finished showing them my art yet." Deidera cursed as flashes surrounded them and killed Kumo nin.

"Whatever, hmm. There's still Iwa. Perhaps I could show them the error of their ways before they die in awe of my art."

"Stop ignoring us" Roared Sasori.

"Ah, yes. Yes, hmmm. You and your puppets against me and my beautiful clay works. The winner shall be the one to show Iwa true art. I'll fight you, hmm."

"I'll show you true art!"

"No, you won't. I will! **Dozen C3 Dragon!"**

 **With Yahiko and Hidan**

"Damn artists and their art." Grunted Yahiko as he overhead Deidera and Sasori's proclamations while he avoided Hidan's scythe.

"I know, right?! They've been spouting about their art ever since we started fighting!"

"Why are you agreeing with me?"

"It doesn't matter! You'll be a great offering to Jashin-sama!"

"Ah, yes. You and your Jashin. You've also been spouting that ever since we started fighting."

"Diieee!" The Jashinist yelled manically as he charged with his scythe raised.

Yahiko stood ground and calmly withdrew several scrolls from his vest. "I may not be an Uzumaki. But I'm proficient enough with explosive seals. After all, I was the first person to have taught Naruto Fuinjutsu."

He chucked the bombs towards the charging Hidan who merely swiped them away with his scythe. He still got hit by some of the explosion but to Yahiko's astonishment, the priest didn't bleed. Small chunks of flesh and skin were blown away, while the Jashinist pressed on, undeterred.

"Muwahahahaha!" Hidan laughed hysterically as he neared Yahiko and brought down his weapon.

Yahiko jumped away to avoid getting sliced. _"Shit! Shit! Shit! So he really is zombie? The fucker's not bleeding!"_

"Repent now! Muwahahahaha!"

 **With Konan and Black Zetsu**

"I'm not a man of words. So let's skip the talking and proceed to murdering each other."

"You're a woman. And I'm a plant. We're no man of words."

"Whatever. **Wind Style: Four Point Paper Star"**

 **Nagato vs Kisame**

 _"Hmm, that sword of his supplies him chakra. So, no ninjutsu. I can't also allow him to get close to other people or he'll absorb their chakra. I wonder what happens if I tried senjutsu?"_

"I'm going to kill you! I'm not a tuna! I'm a shark!"

 _"He's still hurt from being called a tuna. I guess I should rile him up further and allow him to throw jutsus until he runs low of chakra."_

 **"Water Release: Water Bullet Technique"**

 **"Gakido (Petra Path)"**

Kisame had no clue what happened. So he sent another jutsu.

 **"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave"**

 **"Gakido (Petra Path)"**

"Ahh! You're absorbing my technique! So you're like me, eh?"

 _"I need to draw him out more."_

"Come, little tuna."

"Raaaa!" Kisame then slammed his palm on a small puddle that formed.

 **"Water Style: Rain Water Shark Wave"**

"I see what you're doing! You're isolating our battle. You're making a mistake!"

 _"Okay, good. He's not thinking of absorbing others' chakra."_

Their game of cat and mouse continued until they reached the border of the sealed dome.

"You're done for! **Water Release: Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave! Water Prison Shark Dance Tehcnique!"**

 _"Ah, damn it. Hmm, where's that water breathing pill? Ah, here it is… Blergh. Tastes like uncooked shark."_

"I can hold this prison for up to three days! Can you hold your breath that long?" Just then, Kisame noticed Nagato breathing calmly. "What?"

 _"Let's see who's faster underwater. Your shark form, or my modified water dancing technique."_

 **"Kenjutsu Art – Uzumaki Style: Underwater Waltz!"**

 **Back with the kages**

"N-no…! My army… My people!" Ay wailed for a moment before he quickly pulled himself together and punched Tsunade who was pinning him down.

Kushina immediately engaged Sarutobi once the slaughter of Kumo ended. Minato then chose Jiraiya as his opponent.

"You monsters!" Fugaku screamed, his eyes morphing into their Mangekyou form. "Attack!" His orders were followed by the Uchiha Clan behind him. Their sharingan eyes blazing into life.

"We will not be outshone by them! Go!" Screamed Hiashi Hyuuga. "Destroy these Uzumakis!"

An equal number of Uzumaki STORM and Jounins clashed against the red and white eyed nin of the Leaf. They were led by the former Uzukage, Arashi, whose eyes were now purple. It was a battle of dojutsu users.

 **Orochimaru's POV**

While the old leader of Iwa was still gaping horrified, Orochimaru nodded to his army as well as Baki, who in turn signaled to the Suna army. They then attacked the Iwa nins who were now low on morale, having just witnessed a whole army become destroyed in only a matter of minutes by the same jutsu that defeated them the last war.

 **Obito's POV**

Obito just fought anyone who stood in his way. His plans were now totally ruined. His mercenary army destroyed, the same could also be said with the Zetsu clones. White Zetsu was able to inform that the clone army were now unresponsive. Those were the last that he's heard from the plant man until he too stopped responding. Something else, or someone, was now controlling the White Zetsus. The only ones he had left were his generals and Black Zetsu, who were engaged on their own single battles.

When he saw the purple ringed eyes of the higher ranking Whirlpool nin, a new plan formed in his mind. There was a whole army of them. With the Rinnegan, he could do a lot more and faster.

He was about to attack an unsuspecting Uzu Jounin but his path was blocked by the now grown up child he tried to murder years ago. "You're not getting your filthy hands on the Rinnegan, Uchiha scum!"

 **Sandaime's POV**

Never in his life would Hiruzen have imagined the Uchiha and the Hyuuga fighting alongside. And yet they were. What's more, they were fighting against another clan with a dojutsu. More so, they were against an army of Rinnegan wielders. A thing that the Sandaime considered a myth.

Right now, he was fighting one on one against these purple eyed nins' leader, Kushina Namikaze, who, of course, had the same eyes. His summon Enma left the scene the moment the Uzumakis' eyes turned into Rinnegans. So he was left to rely on his ninjutsu without the aid of his staff.

 **With the Senju Brothers**

The Shodaime and Nidaime were given temporary time back to life. Hashirama, after being released from the Edo Tensei, felt his connection with the Zetsu Clones. Having been briefed by Minako about the creatures, he gathered all to the docks and ordered them to copy his form. There were about thirty thousand left. Tobirama stayed with his brother to observe the clones.

 **With Deidera and Sasori**

Defused clay bombs and broken puppets lay around ranging a kilometer radius. The two self-proclaimed art masters were now down to their main and strongest weapons.

Deidera was preparing to level their battleground using his new technique, the C5, a wide range type of attack, where a clone of himself with ninety percent of his chakra will blow up. It was based on the C4 that was technically a suicide technique. This time, at least, while very chakra taxing, he had a clone do it.

Sasori, on the other hand, had the Mother and Father Puppets out. His first creations were still with his Grandmother Chiyo. The ones that he have with him were new and were made from his parents' corpses. The corpses were presented to him by Obito a month before the Chuunin Exams. Instead of asking where he got them, he just thanked the man and began turning the corpses into his strongest weapon. He have discarded the Puppet Hiruko and used his Parents as his new shell.

"You really are fucked up in the head, Sasori! Turning your parents' corpses into puppets! Die!"

"For someone who's about to join my collection, you're too talkative."

"That's because you're talking back, hmm!"

 **"Kinjutsu: C5!"**

"You won't get me. These puppets are ten times tougher than Hiruko. **Ultimate Protection: Activate! Offensive Attack: A Million Poisoned Metal Particles"**

Deidera's clone charged towards Sasori. The puppets opened their mouths and released a dark mist towards Deidera.

The bomb caused everyone inside Konoha to stop what they were doing as the ground shook and the bomb produced a white blinding flash.

 **With the Jinchuuriki**

 **"Muwahahaha! That's how you do it! Blow shit up!"** Cried the One Tailed Demon. The giant tanuki then faced the Hokage Mountain.

"Shukaku, wait, no…!"

 **"BIJUUDAMA!"**

"Looks fun! Chomei, let's do it too!" Said Fu.

 **"BIJUUDAMA!"**

"Eh, whatever. Two is enough." Said Utakata.

 **"Good. Because I want to blow up Kiri!"**

"Well, yes, perhaps later. For now, an alternative… Let's blow up that water dome, then. Nagato will be able to protect himself."

 **"Right! BIJUUDAMA!"**

 **"That certainly is an improvement."** Kurama later said as all of them stared at the turned-into-fine-rubble-mountain.

"Hashirama Oji-san's not going to be pleased his face was blown up." Said Naruto absentmindedly.

"Naruto. Our job here is done. The Konoha nin are back up." Sasuke called his friend's attention.

The four jinchuuriki returned to their human forms and were assisted by their guard as they went straight to the now raging battle of Whirlpool and Leaf.

 **With Yahiko and Hidan**

Yahiko was thankful for the distraction created by Deidera and the three Tailed Beasts. He was sure he was dead if the Jashinist hadn't been interrupted. Hidan had been able to acquire some of Yahiko's blood.

 _"Damn this thing sure moves fast even with his huge scythe. So far my explosions haven't actually worked since those threads kept on reattaching body parts. Damn it! How come I've forgotten about his partner, Kakuzu?"_

Silently thanking the gods, he saw Naruto jump down beside him.

"Yo, Yahiko-san! I'll take on the creepy tentacle old man. You blow up this priest!"

"Right. Thanks, Naruto!"

"No problem!" Naruto then glared at a certain spot on the ground. "Alright, now. We know you're here. I know you've wanted a rematch with my great, great grandfather. But he's busy with the Zetsu clones so you'll be fighting me. I have Mokuton too, you see."

"I guess you'll have to do. I hope you do not disappoint." Kakuzu said as he finally came out from the underground.

"I'll fight the priest somewhere else! **Summoning Technique!** Right! Let's go!" Yelled Yahiko as his summoned dragon picked up the shrieking Jashinist.

 **With Konan and Black Zetsu**

The woman and the walking garden's battle was quite simple. While it devastated the area, the fight went on as Black Zetsu lashed out masses of black plant based attacks while Konan hacked them down with her wind-infused origami. If she wasn't defending herself, Konan was cutting off Black Zetsu parts.

The battle lasted quite long as Black Zetsu had the same amount of chakra as a two tailed beast. Black Zetsu was cut, sliced, and slashed but kept on growing lost limbs. However, Konan made critical hits that damaged the creature's internal cells. Black Zetsu was aware of this but had more difficulties repairing internal parts than external. And so the deep cuts eventually destroyed the cells that helped him rejuvenate.

"It's over. **A Sea of Paper Wind Blades"**

The technique was similar with Naruto's Rasenshuriken. Konan's version, however, was based on compressed million tiny papers infused with wind chakra, tightened into a ball, instead of the Rasengan's plain pure raw chakra. When released, the ball decompresses and explodes outwards.

Black Zetsu's body was destroyed. Not a single cell survived as they were also cut into pieces.

"Now that's what you call art." Konan murmured as she moved along and found new opponents.

 **With Nagato and Kisame**

Due to Saiken's tailed beast bomb, Kisame lost his hold on the huge water dome. He had to manipulate the water to protect himself. Nagato was able to escape the attack by being reverse-summoned to Tera. When he returned, he now had Sage Mode active. Unlike the Toads' Sage Mode that turns unexperienced users into stone, the Dragons' Sage Mode turns unexperienced users into liquid fire.

Nagato went on to release a Sage Mode Fire Jutsu the moment he saw Kisame extract himself from a crystalized sphere.

"Ah, finally using jutsus now, are we? That's good! I'm quite in need of chakra. And Samehada's starving!" Kisame grinned as he raised his sword.

 _"Try digesting this then…_ _ **Sage Art: Dragon Breath"**_

"Muwahahaha! That's it!" Kisame cried in delight as Nagato spewed majestic golden flames from his mouth. "I – What? What's wrong, Samehada?"

The sharkskin sword made retching noises as its spikes stood out and went back in. Kisame later dropped the sword due to the intense heat it was beginning to emit. A few moments later there was only a shark shaped molten metal on the ground.

"Bastard! You killed my sword!"

"You've been too dependent on your weapon and allowed yourself to get distracted. Now you lose." Nagato stated as Kisame was suddenly swallowed by a molten dragon.

 **"Sage Art: Molten Dragon Trap"**

 **"Sage Art: Magma Walls"**

 **"Sage Art: Dragon Breath"**

 **With Naruto and Kakuzu**

"I would like to apologize for making this quick." Said Naruto as he channeled his Mokuton chakra and began forming hand seals.

 **"Wood Release Secret Technique: Nativity of a World of Trees"**

"You sure do back up your words, kiddo. I like it." Kakuzu grinned as his four other hearts separated from his body and went on their own forms.

"Then I'm sure you'll like this one next. After all, it was used to defeat you… **Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees"**

Kakuzu merely smirked and charged ahead, his four other hearts with him. "I've trained to become immune to that!"

 **"Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work"**

 **"Wind Release: Pressure Damage"**

"The name of your jutsus suck!" Shouted Naruto as he Hiraishined to safety.

"Taunting won't work on me, kid."

"Yes. But my jutsu's beginning to work now."

"I've already told you, I'm immune to the polen's poison."

"Yes, but did you really think that I didn't think ahead? I figured you'd make yourself immune to the polen's effects, but you didn't have the means to become immune to demon chakra." Naruto grinned.

It was very slow. But it was made faster due to the intense heat. Kakuzu could feel his body melt from the inside. Even if his body mended it, the strands that reattached themselves also melted. Slowly.

"The effect should have worked after ten minutes. But since you powered it, it hastened. You see, my demon's chakra affinity is fire. With the intense heat your collaboration jutsu produced, the demon chakra infused polen transformed faster into demon mist. And you charged towards it."

Kakuzu smiled as he felt his connection to his other hearts weaken. It wasn't common knowledge, but the man had learned and had always been patient after his defeat from the hands of Hashirama. Kakuzu may have been considered evil but all he ever wanted was a rematch or a match against someone with Mokuton. He's gotten his wish and lost the fight. But he felt contented. The old Taki-nin smiled as death took over him.

"Well done." We're his last words

Naruto gave a bow of respect before he took off and began channeling a huge amount of chakra.

"Sasuke, Hinata, Team Shukaku, Team Chomei, Team Saiken. Cover me. It's time." Naruto called to them on their mental link as he reached the main center of the village. Near him were his family fighting the leaders of the opposing sides.

 **General POV**

As Naruto channeled his jutsu, Kushina kept Hiruzen busy while Minato fought Jiraiya. Tsunade was holding off Ay while Orochimaru battled with Ohnoki.

In the center, Naruto began forming three hundred seals while Hinata and the others protected him and Sasuke, who was atop his Perfect Susanoo, spreading Amaterasu everywhere within the walls of the once great village.

As Naruto got to the hundredth seal, the skies began to darken. Storm clouds began to form.

Jiraiya, who was in Sage Mode, felt the heavy concentration of nature around him. Looking up he saw the skies filled with storm clouds that went to dark violet from dark blue. He found the source behind it and his eyes landed on Naruto. He immediately recognized the threat. Unfortunately for him, he was still fighting Minato.

"Recognize it, don't you? It was a great success. We made millions of money from it. After all, the movie was filmed on an actual war. Can you guess the movie's sequel?"

"I'm not in the mood for games! STOP HIM!" Jiraiya shouted and pointed at Naruto's direction.

Those who were battling around them took a glance and most recognized what was about to happen. The Uchihas, with their Sharingan, saw the heavy concentration of chakra around and recognized the jutsu Naruto used against Doto's army during the war at Snow Country.

They broke off from their current battles and went to stop Naruto. They could not as they were engaged to battle by Hinata and the others and were quickly dealt with.

 **With Anko**

Anko, who was still with the rest of the Leaf populace underground, nodded to Tenzo when she saw Naruto and his friends reach the center most part of the village. Tenzo, along with other ten STORM squads discreetly went into handseals and began to level the dome they were at. The earth moved up and tore open the ground as it rose.

 **General POV**

Almost everyone halted their battles as the ground shook. A few moments later a sealed dome with a lot of people inside appeared. They were easily recognized as the people of Konoha. As it settled, the seals that held the people inside captive crumbled, allowing both entry and exit to the dome.

Not soon after, the whole army of Uzushio, Suna, and Oto were just gone in a flash, taking Obito with them, bar one. There was only an eerie silence as Naruto reached the three hundredth seal and clamped his hands together.

 **"STORM RELEASE: JUDGEMENT DAY"**

 **Chapter Twenty-three End**

 **Author's Notes:**

 **1\. Thank you all for patiently waiting.**

 **2\. Once again, I would like to advertise my third fic, entitled "** **Fourth World; Third Chance at Life** **"**

 **3\. Please read and review.**


	26. Chapter 24: Samsara

Just a question... to those writers or anyone who has an idea why some of the story summaries in fanfiction use exclamation marks. For example if the fanfic is a naruto fic...

Example Summary: Blah blah blah. Dark!Naruto Intelligent!Naruto Sharingan!Naruto Mokuton!Naruto Sennin!Naruto

That. So, the question is, why? Why use exclamation marks? I for one find reading summaries confusing sometimes when there are too many exclamation marks. I started writing in 2016. So I have no clue about the use of exclamation marks. There are stories dating back to 2008 that uses the mark. I guess it was a fad back then.

Anyway, here's the final chapter for The Lost Maelstrom. After this I'm going back to the early chapters to edit them. I've done a re-reading and I found myself cringing. Comparing my writing style now back to my first chapters, it's different. I find myself now with a colder personality compared to my happy happy 2016 self.

 **Anyway, I need your help by re-reading the early chapters as well and pointing out the errors I made or have overlooked. I await your reviews. Thanks.**

Credit to (Mikey) StrikerTheFallen for the Avatar-Aang-Removing-Fire-Lord-Ozai's-Bending-Powers idea. I did it on Obito here by removing his gift of chakra, and allowing him to live a cursed immortal life.

 **I apologize for vanishing without a warning. I was in and out of the hospital and just got stable last week. Good news is I'll live longer so I'll be able to finish my stories.**

 **Officially, this story is finished. This is the last chapter. But I'm kind of thinking of writing a sort of eulogy or epilogue-like thing. So, that's that. Also, even though this is completed, I'm rewriting earlier chapters.**

 **Chapter Twenty Four: Samsara**

 **The Elemental Nations**

The people who were watching the Chuunin Exams-turned-into-actual war only heard crackles of lightning, howls of wind, and roars of fire. The screen on their televisions only showed orange, purple, and black flashes for fifteen minutes. They were beyond terrified.

When the storm finally died out, the screen showed a vast blackened wasteland. There were patches of earth here and there, but nobody would think there had been any kind of civilization before.

And then they saw movement. As the camera zoomed in, they recognized Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto. He was once again forming hand seals and were on it for a while. Finally, he finished and clasped his hands together.

 **"Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique"**

And then the feed on that area finally ended. For a moment there was a black screen and showed a different place when it returned.

 **Naruto's POV**

Naruto watched as the area around him rumbled for a moment before dust particles rose to the air. Moments later huge clouds formed above the former village and then began to pour down rain.

It will be three days before the rain stopped and the ashes cleansed. New trees will begin to sprout on the fourth day, until the area is back to its forest state, without the village standing atop it.

 **"You've done well."**

Naruto nodded calmly as a projection of the Sage appeared.

 **"However, you still have one thing left to do. I've come to make that task doable to you."** The Sage of Six paths then walked towards Naruto and tapped his forehead with his two fingers.

Naruto closed his eyes as he felt power rush through him. After almost a minute he once again opened his eyes. Gone were his purple eyes. They were now red. The other addition was the nine tomoes. There were three on each ring making a triangular pattern like the Sharingan.

 **"Now, go forth, and fulfil that task. And there shall be peace."**

"But how long would it last?"

 **"A wonderful question! But alas, I myself do not know either. Could be ten, a hundred, or a thousand years after your death. And you wouldn't die just yet, for you shall live at least a hundred years. When war breaks out again, your clan shall be there. After all, it is the Uzumakis' destiny. And oh, you shall be the one to speak with the Third reincarnation, not me. After all, you're the Second and I was the one to speak to you. It's just a matter of succession, really."**

"Yeah. One thing for sure though, I'll speak straight and not in riddles."

The Sage merely chuckled as his projection dissolved.

 ** _"You'll never know though… After a few years, you might start speaking like a hermit."_** Kurama joked.

 _"Whatever. I'm technically your father now, right? Give me some respect."_

The fox howled in laughter as Naruto Hiraishined back to Uzushio.

 **Normal POV**

 **Uzushiogakure**

In a large open space, the armies of Whirlpool, Sand, Sound, and the Zetsu Clones were gathered. On a staged platform were Kushina and Minato dragging a defeated and restrained Obito.

"Minato-sensei… I'm so sorry… Kushina-san… you once saw me as a son… Please, I –" Obito stopped as he realized neither Minato nor Kushina were listening to him. "I see. So my execution will be public?" He asked as he noticed the cameras glaring at him.

"Your fate will be televised live, yes. But you will not be executed." Naruto said as he appeared on stage.

"You plan to make a mockery out of me, then." The Uchiha spat.

"No. I plan to make an example out of you." Replied Naruto as the cameras focused on him.

"People of the Elemental Nations. Shinobi and civilians alike. As you already know, the Uzumakis have been given the task to give deliver peace to the world. And it will continue to do so until the end of time…

Here, in front of you, is Obito Uchiha. A man who sought to destroy the Great Five Nations by plunging them into war. I need not to elaborate all his deeds. But his actions have caused great and many deaths.

I admit, yes, the Uzumaki Clan have participated in the war too. Some of you may see it as an act of vengeance. Some will think we were simply doing our task. It's both. We have destroyed Konoha, Kiri, Kumo, and Iwa. While at the same time uniting a lot of smaller nations and making alliances.

Black and White. Yin and Yang. Light and Dark. One cannot exist without the other. But there also has to be Balance. This world has gone into four wars after the First Sage's passing. And counting from that time to present, it has been too long. There has to be balance. Peace. This long war will end today."

Naruto walked forward and placed his hands on Obito's head.

"I, Naruto of the Uzumaki Clan, punish you, Obito Uchiha for your crimes against the nature of Balance. You should have died that day when the earth crushed you. But you didn't. You lived to create more chaos. Your punishment isn't death. You planned on enslaving and entrapping the world with your Infinite Moon Eye Plan. You shall then be placed in an undisclosed location while you view and experience all the pain and suffering everyone caused of your actions. Beginning with the time you unleashed the Nine Tailed Fox and almost murdered an infant. You will watch and experience these memories in an unending loop until old age consumes you. You will not be able to break it, because you will have no chakra."

Obito's eyes widened in fear at the thought. "You couldn't! You wouldn't!"

"I can and I will." Naruto replied as his blue eyes changed into red ringed ones. "I am the Second coming of the Sage, He who brought the teachings of Ninshu. And like him, I know how to take it away."

"But my chakra?! My Sharingan…! No, please! Stop!"

 **"Seven Paths: Removal"**

Obito's cries of anguish were drowned out as he and Naruto became covered by white light. After a few moments the light died out. There was Obito lying on the stage with his mouth slightly agape, mumbling incoherent words. Naruto released his hold on the captive's head and nodded to Kaede, who in turn nodded to a pair of STORM and dragged Obito away.

"This shall serve as a warning and a reminder to anyone who wishes to disrupt the balance that the Uzumakis are trying to achieve. It will be prudent if the Elemental Nations moved on forward in peace."

The live feed finally ended as Naruto's eyes returned to normal.

 **Time Skip**

 **Eighteen months later**

 **Elemental Nations**

After the short Fourth Shinobi War, the people of the Elemental Nations moved on. The citizens of Iwa and Kumo made a pact. The two former Hidden Villages were now simply two trading cities, as there were very few shinobi left when the Obito Uchiha's Army invaded, there were only fresh graduates of genin. However, the two cities no longer planned on pursuing to once again become a village for shinobi. There were still shinobi, but they now worked as police forces protecting the now trading cities.

The civilians of Kirigakure have also made their peace with the Uzumaki. The former Mist Village was now a part of the Fourth City.

Sunagakure remained a shinobi village and had good ties with the other shinobi factions; Spring and Sound.

Sound Village relocated to where Konohagakure formerly stood six months after its destruction.

Uzushiogakure continued to progress and advance. It produced machineries and weaponries. Some minor villages say they were preparing for war. They were true about it though, as it was the Uzumakis' obligation to keep the Balance. While it won't be permanent, they expected the peace to last long the same as the time covered by the wars since the Sage's death.

One village, however, were bitter and were not willing to cooperate.

 **Takigakure**

Ever since the loss of their jinchurikii and Hero's Water, the villagers were all feeling resentful towards the Uzumaki. They were convinced that they were right to treat Fu unfairly, as she was only their weapon. The village councilors convened one week after Konoha's destruction. What the Uzumakis didn't know, all Clan Heads and Councilors have a liter's amount of Hero's Water each. They pooled it up together and had their scientists work to reproduce it.

"Today is the day we attack the Fourth City. We will show those Uzumaki scum Takigakure is not to be trifled with. Our scientists are successful at reproducing the Hero's Water as well as changing its effects. The drinker will no longer die after taking it. The drinker will only feel drained for a whole day instead. It's a lot better than dying." Said the leader. "Here's what we're going to do… Since our supply is enough for three thousand individuals, we will attack thrice. On the first day we attack the former Snow, now Spring Country, and recuperate there. On the third day, we invade the Fourth City and cut the Uzumakis off. We attack the First City on the seventh day."

The people of Takigakure all cheered after hearing the plan. Their cheers died out, however, when a calm yet loud voice interrupted. "A good plan. However, I cannot allow that to happen. You plan to kill lots of innocents and civilians. You've been warned before. So I'm not going to talk you out of your plan…. I am, however, giving a chance to those who are not into the plan."

Naruto crossed his arms and began to float to the air. "Those who wish peace and not want to attack, please step up. I give you my word, I will protect you. You won't need to fear your fellow villagers."

All the villagers grew silent and looked up at him. After a minute nobody stepped up.

"We're not following you!" Said one.

"We do not take orders from outsiders!" Said another.

"You claim to be the Second Sage? I call bullshit! For all we know, you could have used some trick to light up the stage and placed some Uzumaki Seal on that Uchiha!" Said the leader.

"Yeah! You're a fake!" Said another one.

"Go shove up your so called peace up your arse!" Said another villager, causing everyone to laugh.

"I've no time for this…" Naruto muttered to himself.

 ** _"Get on with it, Naruto. These people obviously have death wishes."_**

 _"Right you are, Kurama."_

"So what you gonna do now, eh?" Taunted the leader. "There are a thousand of us here and equipped with a bottle of the Hero's Water each. You're only one!"

"Fucking shitheads." Muttered Naruto.

 ** _"You're sounding like your cousin Tayuya. That's not fitting for a Sage."_** Snickered Kurama.

"Whatever. I'm done here… **TENGAI SHINSEI."**

 **Six Months Later**

The nine meteors that struck down the former Takigakure Village was visible even from the highest towers in Lightning Village. After that incident all doubts regarding Naruto Uzumaki's being the Sage's Second Coming was gone. Village civilian and shinobi alike have all come to a peaceful agreement. Sure, there were minor scuffles such as robberies or street fights, but not enough to cause an all-out war.

It will be a hundred years or more before another great war breaks out. However, there is a very small chance for it to happen sooner.

 **Chapter Twenty-Four End**

 **The Lost Maelstrom**

 **I would like to thank everyone who patiently went with me from the start. I thank you for not losing interest even when I stopped doing the weekly update and became once every two weeks and then once a month.**

 **Many thanks as well to those who reviewed. Your reviews help a lot because I get feedback and know if I suck or if the chapter sucked.**

 **And of course, thanks to everyone who read my first ever story, The Lost Maelstrom.**

 **Lastly, I know you missed these two... Tobi and Deidera.**

 **Tobi: Yeah! We missed you too senpai!**

 **Deidera: It's been a blast, hmm!**

 **Tobi and Deidera: Congratulations for completing a story!**


	27. EPILOGUE

**EPILOGUE**

 **Ten Years Later**

 **Uzushiogakure Hospital**

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"You're doing great! A little more, Ayame-chan. Push!"

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The small voice of the newborn crying was heard even from outside the operating room.

"Congratulations, Ayame-sama, Naruto-sama." A nurse greeted as she gently put down the bundle beside the mother.

"He has your hair." Naruto said.

"What would his name be?" The nurse asked.

"Menma." Replied Ayame and Naruto both.

Naruto smiled down at his newborn son and first wife. Yes, first wife. It was unexpected but should have been expected by all. After all, Naruto was quite the charmer when he was younger. And he became more desirable as he aged.

While Kushina and Tsunade despised perverts, they were accepting with the fact that Naruto ended up having nine wives. At first, they thought that Naruto wasn't interested in females when he was still single four years ago. As it turned out, Naruto had feelings for Ayame, Hinata, Shion, Karin, Yakumo, Temari, Kin, Koyuki, and Hotaru, but was confused and did not know who he should choose.

Little did Naruto know, the girls he liked have already made an agreement to themselves and didn't mind sharing him. And so there were nine wedding celebrations. The order didn't base on who Naruto loved the most, but the girls agreed that he will marry them according to the time they met. As Ayame was the girl he met first, she became the first wife while Hotaru was the ninth.

Naruto's second child to Ayame was born today, while Hinata, Shion, and Karin were eight, six, and two months pregnant to their second child as well respectively. Naruto already have one child with Yakumo, Temari, Kin, Koyuki, and Hotaru.

Obviously there would be a huge celebration today for the successful and safe delivery of Ayame and birth of Menma Uzumaki, tenth child of the Uzukage. Kushina stepped down and passed the mantle to Naruto two years ago.

Ayame still helped her father at the restaurant. Ichiraku's grew more famous and now had a branch in the Fourth City, former Wave Town.

Hinata, Shion, Karin, Yakumo, and Hotaru trained in their free time and helped Naruto in his work.

Temari served as the ambassadress between Sand and Whirlpool. Gaara became the Kazekage a year after the war. While Kankuro studied ancient puppetry and became known as the Black Puppeteer.

The relationship between the Land of Spring – former Snow – and Whirlpool became stronger due to Koyuki being married to Naruto.

Kin also served as an ambassadress this time between Sound and Whirlpool.

Mio and Miho were not interested in leading a whole village and chose to pursue a mastery in the new technology and jutsu creations, and combining them. Mio was now head of the Technology Advancement Department while Miho was head of Jutsu Research and Recreations Department. They haven't married yet as they insisted they will also marry twins. They were still looking for the love of their life while they're working on their jobs.

Narumi, to the surprise of everyone, ended up with Deidara. They now had three children. Their eldest was six years old and was now at grade three in the academy. Their second child was four while the youngest was two years old. All three were girls, and had a fascination with blowing up and exploding things. While a bit eccentric, Deidera turned out to be an amazing father.

Minako married a native from the former land of demons, and now had two children, both male, four and two year old respectively.

Yahiko and Konan got married and had one child. Nagato was godfather of their now eight year old son.

Nagato was still looking for a wife. He kept himself busy with his duty as Kage of the Third City.

Tobi apprenticed under Tsunade as a medic, fulfilling his dream to save people's lives.

Lee joined the monks at the Fire Temple and later replaced Chiriku as the new head.

Another surprise was Sasuke ending up marrying Fu and Tayuya. He now had one child with each wife.

Yugito returned to the now demilitarized Kumogakure and visited Whirlpool from time to time.

Bee on the other hand was now renowned to the world as a singer and song writer. He was currently on a world tour and had millions of fans. His first album had been released a year ago, and earned him millions.

All in all, the villages and cities lived in harmony. There were no quarrels or misunderstandings. While there were alliances formed, they were for trading and advancement purposes. All was well.


End file.
